


Eruption

by InfernalBlossom



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Aqua is the mom everyone deserves, Attraction, Awkward Crush, Awkward Dates, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Sexual Situations, Complicated Relationships, Darkness, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Feelings Realization, Inspired by Fanfiction, Leads into BBS, Magic-Users, Platonic Relationships, Porn With Plot, Pre-Birth By Sleep, Revelations, Rivalry, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Sparring, They deserved better, Ties Into Canon, Training, Vanitas just being an asshole, Ven isn't as clueless as people think, everything's awkward until feelings settle in, supernatural powers, the ending will shock you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2019-11-05 21:38:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17926826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfernalBlossom/pseuds/InfernalBlossom
Summary: What happens when fire meets the earth?Smoke rises, the ground shakes, and lava starts flowing from the mouth of the volcano.Until there's one final explosion.Starts out pre-Birth By Sleep and ties into the plot as the story goes on. My first actual smutty piece. Thank TehRevving and trashsith for this.





	1. Training

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Reviving the Flame](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17853923) by [trashsith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashsith/pseuds/trashsith). 



> I've been sucked into Terra hell (darkness) and this is the result. Get ready for so much sexual tension that you could build a house out of it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fire and earth aren't opposites, but be careful when they collide, for all will be molten.

Aqua had another migraine. The two of them were at it again, just as they had yesterday, and nearly every day that week. Always with the bickering and sparring taken a little too far. They were oil and water...or more like fire and ice, hot and cold. Any other kinds of opposites she could think of. She had no idea who started it; asking them was useless. Even Master Eraqus, she could tell, was nearing the end of his rope with his two apprentices. "What nonsense are you two arguing over now?" he shouted when he marched into the throne room, his voice echoing through the large space; "This is the third fight you two have had this week. I don't understand what the problem is!" Neither did Ventus or Aqua. All the three warriors knew was when it came to even breathing in the same space, Terra and Fusilia were one Keyblade clash away from seriously hurting one another.

Sadly, it'd been that way ever since Fusilia became a part of their little family. Her master, a great friend of Eraqus, had suddenly fallen ill and could no longer train the young woman. The disease she'd contracted left her nearly immobilized and requiring around the clock care, which wouldn't work if the Master was unable to even sit through a meeting with the other Masters. Before their final conference prior to her stepping down, the Master left Eraqus with a warning. Fusilia was a fantastic apprentice: loyal, energetic, focused, and able to handle constructive criticism. Her one problem, however, lied in her teamwork aspects. For the most part she was fine, but every now and then, SOMEHOW, for some reason, one fellow apprentice would piss her off to no end. Why? She never figured it out. Her personality matched her Keyblade's name - Firecracker. She'd never act out toward a Master, of course, but he was still cautioned to keep an eye on her when she met his own apprentices.

And when she was introduced and welcomed into the castle, things went surprisingly well. Fusilia took to Aqua in a heartbeat, like they'd known each other their entire lives, and Ven was no different. Terra was missing, running unusually late from his quick supply run. Not wanting to delay getting her settled, Eraqus had Ven and Aqua show her to her quarters and give her a tour of the estate.

Terra returned when the others were gone and started toward the dining hall to set down the supplies. "I miss anything?" he asked like always, though he never expected to hear anything wild or exciting.

"Actually, yes." Terra's eyebrows raised. He perked up and turned his attention to Eraqus, forgetting about the supplies he was unpacking. "Jenova's pupil arrived about fifteen minutes ago. I was going to introduce you, but you were late."

"Eheh, sorry about that. I got caught up helping this old man with some construction." He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I'll catch up with them after I take care of this. Where are they now?"

"Probably upstairs getting her settled in a room." Eraqus took a step toward Terra and pat his shoulder. "Lunch will be soon. Please try to join us on time." His pupil nodded, and with that, Eraqus left to take care of other business. Terra hummed to himself as he separated the medical supplies from the rest. _Another girl, huh? At least Aqua'll have someone to gab to._ Not that he didn't enjoy Aqua's company. But there were things he knew girls would talk about only with other girls, and he was genuinely happy that she had someone to relate to.

He finished unpacking everything and putting the items in their proper place, so Terra left the dining hall to search for the others. He couldn't remember where the Master said their new comrade would be staying. There were so many rooms in the estate, too many to constantly keep count of. He figured the new girl would be set up in the guest wing, so he headed there first. His steps echoed through the halls and open doorways, but he heard no voices. With a shrug Terra turned on heel and ran off to his wing of the castle. Four stories up Terra could hear three voices bouncing off the walls. He recognized two as Aqua and Ventus; the third was a mystery to him. The new girl, perhaps. He continued down the hall, following the voices as they grew louder, and when he reached the very end of the hall where his room was, his attention was drawn to the conversation booming in the room opposite his. They were laughing about something, piquing his curiosity further.

"...at's how Ven learned his first advanced spell," Aqua concluded while rattling Ventus' hair. "I'm glad you learned to control it properly. We wouldn't want you electrifying the entire castle."

The boy in question puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms. "I wouldn't have," he argued back, and when his eyes flicked to the doorway he spotted Terra. A grin replace the embarrassed grimace. "About time you showed up! They were cornering me!" The girls giggled when he drew his brows in, trying to look serious.

"Aww, but you make it look so easy." A hand pinched his cheek like a baby's until he swatted it away and rubbed the reddening skin. The laughter ceased as Terra entered the room with obvious confusion written on his face.

Aqua cleared her throat. "Terra, I'd like you to meet Fusilia." Her hand moved from one to the other and back. "Fusilia, this is Terra."

Terra's gaze locked with that of the girl sitting on the bed flush against the wall. She didn't seem the slightest bit nervous by his entrance, not even when their eyes met. Freckled skin framed hazel eyes that studied his blue ones intently, her face unreadable. Hair rivaling lava was pulled into a ponytail behind her head, and the bangs hanging loosely in front of her face further laid focus on her eyes. Sitting next to Aqua made the two look like night and day with her calm blues and purples toning down Fusilia's burning reds and yellows of her attire. He finally blinked and shook the awkwardly long stare off, and offered a hand to her. "It's nice to meet you."

Her stare switched to his waiting right hand, then back to his eyes. Her smile flattened. Her eyes squinted.

"I don't like you."

The three pairs of blue eyes in the room turned into saucers. "Excuse me?" Terra scoffed. "We've only known each other for five minutes; how can you already assu-"

"HEY, Aqua," she interrupted him, "why don't you show me around the castle? I'd love to see the garden before it gets dark out." Fusilia pulled Aqua's hand and arm until the woman stood up, and practically dragged her out of the room, ignoring Terra's presence on the way out.

Terra watched them leave, then stared at Ventus, throwing his arms out wide. "What the hell was that?"

"I dunno. She was really nice to me and Aqua." Ven leaned back and propped himself up with his hands on the mattress. He glanced at the ceiling. "Maybe she likes you."

"Ven, you heard what she just-"

"I mean LIKE you, like you." Terra raised an eyebrow as he watched Ven look around the room aimlessly and swung his legs back and forth. "Girls are weird like that."

Terra crossed his arms and sucked his teeth. "Yeah, that's one way to put it," he mumbled. When Ven turned back to him he shook his head. "Forget what I said. Let's just get out of here. The Master wants us ready for lunch." He waited for Ventus to leave before he followed, rolling his eyes when Fusilia's words repeated in his head. They'd barely spoken, had only just met, and she was already labeling him. Either she had major issues or she made herself at home way too quickly. Terra put his munny on the former.

That was just the beginning of seven months of snide remarks, constant scolding from Eraqus and Aqua, and thousands of contests to see who was better at what. It was what Jenova had warned him about. Every day, in and out, there was at least a little comment from one to the other and back. He was glad it never escalated to anything dangerous, but the tension was finally getting to him. So much so, that he decided individual punishments would get them nowhere in resolving whatever issues they had with each other. "Look, it's been a long day for all of us. I'm sure the Mark of Mastery exam is putting pressure on you, but you two need to learn to get along." He laid his focus on Fusilia first. "Your Master warned me of this, Fusilia, but I thought I'd give you a chance to prove her wrong. However, you've shown me that, while your skills are impressive, your attitude is far from that of a Keyblade master." The girl in question crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, but held her tongue. She sensed Erqaus' stare lingering on her until she lowered her arms and her gaze relaxed. "Terra." The apprentice tensed at the way Eraqus said his name. "You're not making the situation any better. I don't care who instigated what. You've been my student for many years, and we both know this isn't how I taught you to act. You are above such childish emotions. And I'm not going to sit back and let this go on any further." He loomed over his students, straightening his back and narrowing his eyes until he saw the regret in theirs as they stood at attention. "I've compiled a list of activities for you two to work on. TOGETHER. Maybe this'll teach you both a little humility, and to respect your fellow warrior. You both have what it takes to go far, but until you end this war of yours, I'll not consider either of you for the exam."

Both students nearly jumped at his final sentence. "What?" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"You heard me." Eraqus turned his back to them and started pacing. "Your first assignment together: clean the training area. I want it spotless. If you help one another you should be done by dinnertime... You're both dismissed." Eraqus marched away from them and disappeared when he rounded a corner of the room. Ven and Aqua had watched the whole time in silence against the far wall. The former stepped forward, wanting to talk to them, but Aqua grabbed his shoulder and shook her head. She motioned for Ventus to follow her out of the room so the two could start their assignment.

The doors closing on either side of the training area boomed when they shut. Terra and Fusilia were still brooding in the middle of the room, placing the blame on the other. The minutes ticked by until Terra let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "...Well," he began, "we might as well get started." Equipment was scattered all over the room: sandbags on their sides on the floor, target discs all over the place, towels and water bottles tossed to the side... There wasn't much to clean, until his eyes landed on the nearest wall, and his breath caught in his throat. "Aww, crap."

Across the room Fusilia threw her head back and groaned. "Complaining already? Geez, you're such a baby!"

"Shut up and look at the wall." She did what he said with reluctance, and mirrored his reaction when she saw the scorch marks staining nearly the entire wall.

"...Oh."

" _Oh?_ That's all you've got to say?" His blood began to boil. Terra marched over to the wall and pointed at the largest mark on the wall. "Look at what you did! You could've killed me!"

Fusilia grit her teeth. "Me? I wasn't the one swinging my Keyblade around like a flag!" She turned away from him. "You're gonna cry over one little Fira spell? Ha, rich."

Terra stalked over to Fusilia. "Cut the crap! Look at the size of that thing!"

"What's wrong, Iron Man? Can't make a better spell?" WHY did she continue to pick at his nerves? Why did she do anything? He was stuck alone with her until dinner, but even after that Terra couldn't get rid of her - their rooms were across from each other. Everything about her was beyond irritating. Terra growled under his breath and stormed off to the supply closet and fetched everything they'd need to clean their mess. When he returned to the scorched wall he found Fusilia sitting on the floor by the stairs, leaning on the banister with her legs crossed. She was whistling to herself, minding her own, business, until Terra stomped her way and kicked her leg out from under her. "Hey! What the fuck?"

"I'm not cleaning this by myself. Get off your ass and help me!" Her lips parted, ready to protest. "And don't give me that 'high and mighty' bullshit. I've put up with your shit for too long. I'm not letting you push me around anymore." Fusilia stood up but seemed unfazed by his confidence. She didn't move from her spot. "Tch." There was no other choice. Without warning, Terra lunged at Fusilia and lifted her in a single swipe, paying no mind to her protests and curses, and plopped her over his shoulder.

"What's wrong with you?" she squealed and beat her fist against his back. He didn't reply with words, but deliberately flexed his shoulder up so she went in the air a little and hit her gut on him. "UGH. You know, that REALLY hurt!"

"Sounds like a personal problem." He dumped her on the floor when they reached the wall. "Come on, there's no time to waste! Chop, chop!" He tossed a sponge onto her lap.

She was about ready to throw it back at him, but stopped herself and soaked the sponge, wrung it out, and stormed to the dirty wall. They worked in silence for a while: Fusilia scrubbing down the wall, and Terra gathering the training gear scattered about, and soon the sun was setting, casting a reddish glow into the room. The wall was finally clean. Fusilia threw the sponge back into the bucket and wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. At the same time, Terra was done collecting all the training gear, and he started to put them back into their proper places. Fusilia happened to look at him as he lifted a sand bag and studied his back. His muscles contracted and flexed to compensate for the object's weight, and as her eyes trailed to his arm, she noticed how his bicep went taught to keep the sand bag steady. He carried it to the edge of the room with little effort and let it fall back to the floor, and as he turned to bring over the next, he caught Fusilia gawking at him. She immediately realized what she'd been doing and flipped him off, and he returned the gesture before lifting the second sand bag.

Fusilia started to gather whatever target discs Terra had missed. She hopped back and forth across the room to collect them, and then it was she who didn't notice Terra watching her. The netted stockings she wore tightened when she would kneel to pick something up, particularly around her thighs. He blinked fast and turned to return to his own work, until Fusilia bent over to fetch another disc. Even under the long tails of her shirt and armor her behind was...he didn't know what to think. Distracting? And then she wiggled to reach for something and shook her rear, and a lump settled in his throat. Fusilia got up and walked to the wall for the final training disc, stuck on a prong from a decorative metal piece hanging up high. She stretched her arm as far as she could reach, and when it wasn't close enough she stood on her toes, leaving everything in full view. Her shorts were tight and accentuated it as it moved side to side when she strained to get the disc. Her fingers barely touched the edge of it. She huffed and looked over her shoulder, and Terra immediately turned around. "...Hey... I, uh... need your help. I can't reach the stupid thing."

Her tone was so calm, music to his ears compared to the shrieking he was used to from her. He hesitated for a second then walked over to her. Fusilia stepped aside and pointed her eyes to the disc. "I got it." Terra gave a single nod and extended his arm up to the crown moulding on the wall, curling his fingers when they touched the underside. Fusilia watched him reach the disc almost with ease, but that was the least of her concerns in that moment. What consumed her mind instead was...where to begin? His height? He was tall; she wasn't that short, but compared to her he was a tree. Her eyes trailed from his arm to his neck, watching how it moved when he subconsciously swallowed, then drifted downward at a snail's pace. First his chest - dammit, she didn't know why she suddenly felt so warm, and wished there was a water bottle nearby. And damn him for wearing such a tight shirt to accentuate every muscle beneath the fabric, down his abdomen to the hem of his hakama, and blood rushed to her cheeks. She almost didn't notice Terra planting his feet flat again and lowering his arm, disc in hand. "Here." He hadn't yet caught her staring at him and handed off the disc. Silently Fusilia grabbed the disc, and her fingers brushed against his. He finally looked down at her, both frozen and still holding the disc. Her back flattened against the wall and she drew in a deep breath. Terra's gaze left her face and lingered on her chest, rising and falling slowly, the straps she wore criss-crossed over her shirt following the curves of her breasts, He tore his eyes from there and met hers again, feeling a knot form in his stomach.

 _Uh-oh._ What the hell was happening, they both wondered. Why couldn't they look away from each other all of a sudden? And why did the room suddenly get so hot? Terra planted his free hand on the wall next to her head and leaned closer to her, blue watching hazel like a hawk. Her lips parted slightly. They looked plump to him, possibly soft or chapped, not that he cared either way. Her face had taken on a rosy glow the longer they remained quiet, unsure of what was happening or what to do. _Shit._ His leaned further, gradually closing the distance between their faces. She sucked in a sharp breath and held it.

The bells rang throughout the castle, signaling dinnertime. They both remained frozen, still captivated in each other's eyes, wondering who would move first. Fusilia let out the air she'd been holding in. "...Well?" her voice trembled. "It's time for dinner."

He didn't know what he was thinking when he replied. "I'm more in the mood for dessert." His eyes fell shut, her entire face went red, and he almost brushed his lips against hers.

"Terra! Fusilia!" Ventus' voice echoed from the stairway. "Come on, dinner's ready!" Fusilia took advantage of the distraction and squirmed out from between Terra's arms, letting go of the training disc he still held. She jogged to the stairs and, as she placed one foot on the next step, she turned halfway to look at Terra.

"Don't be greedy," she whispered, and took off down the stairs.


	2. Chores

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They'd learn to get along, one way or another.

"You've got to be kidding me." Terra was the last one to enter the dining hall for dinner, having needed a moment to collect himself and wonder just what had been going through his head, and, well... _elsewhere_. She was right there, right where he wanted her... _Why_ did he want her in that position? Why did he even want her in that way? Maybe he'd overdone it with the sparring today, pushed his mind and body to the edges of their limits. Maybe that could explain it. He just needed a breather: eat dinner, take a long shower, then retire to his room for the night. That should put his mind at ease. He could smell the food from halfway down the stairs: grilled meats, steamy vegetables, rice. Just what the doctor ordered. Terra's mood improved as he neared the hall, and when he stepped through the doorway, he found everyone else already passing around the platters and making small talk. He waved when the others acknowledged his arrival and looked for a seat... And the only available space left was right next to Fusilia. Just his luck. Terra let out a long sigh, deciding that food was enough to put their feud on pause, and sat down. He immediately filled his plate with food and drinks were poured by Aqua. To his right, Fusilia paid him no mind, apparently too focused on the food and a conversation with Aqua to care he was there. He took it in stride and got comfortable in his chair.

"I see the enemies have called a truce," Eraqus said from across the table. "See? Is it so difficult for you two to get along?" Terra rolled his eyes and huffed while Fusilia pretended he didn't exist. Their silence was enough for the Master to feel content, allowing him to change the subject. "As you all know I'll be leaving for a conference with the other Keyblade Masters in three days. I'm entrusting all four of you to do your part in minding the estate in my absence." He looked at all of his students, and his gaze lingered on the two powder kegs parallel to him. "I especially expect both of you to not tear the castle apart with your bickering. Train as you see fit, but Aqua will keep me informed on both your behavior while I'm gone."

Fusilia laid her fork down. "Aww, Aqua! I thought you were gonna tone down the 'mom' card this time!"

"Try not to think of it like that," the woman to her right replied. "...Think of me as a proctor. I'm only obligated to keep an eye on the two of you and make sure you don't kill each other." The last four words sounded from her more cheerful than the redhead expected. "As for you, Ven-" her focus shifted to the blond boy stuffing his face - "I'll make sure you keep up with all your training and chores. No slacking while the Master's gone, 'kay?" Ven puffed his cheeks in a pout and groaned, mouth full of food.

"Buuuh Akwuh-" He couldn't attempt to say anything else with the amount of food he was chewing at once.

Fusilia snickered, her hand on her mouth. "Relax, little hamster. It's not like you're being grounded." She watched Ven swallow and draw in a deep breath, and the whole table filled with laughter.

Nearing the end of dinner, there was hardly any food left on the platters. Terra tore through three platefuls, finding himself a lot hungrier than he initially felt, the flatware practically licked clean. "Geez, Terra," Ven quipped, "try saving some for the rest of us."

"Says the kid who picks at his plate like a bird," Fusilia snickered, and even Eraqus couldn't help a chuckle escaping him. Laughter finished, she cleared her plate and searched the table to see what was left. The bowl of vegetables still had a little remaining, to her delight, and she leaned out of her chair to reach it, on the other side of Terra. She didn't pay him any mind and craned her head and arm to grab the edge of the bowl, tipping way closer to Terra than he found comfortable.

"Hang on, let me-" Even with his arms raised and his hands closer to the bowl she pretended she didn't hear him, and hooked her fingers over the bowl's edge. He wished she'd just let him pass it over to her. Instead he had her elbow thumping against his chest as she squirmed out of her seat, clearly struggling to obtain what she wanted. Terra was ready to just swoop in and take the bowl in his own grasp until she reached it. Her body had twisted to stretch across him, and as she got a comfortable grip on the glass dish, her breasts brushed against Terra's chest. First left, then right at an agonizing pace when she sat back down. His breath hitched. It was barely a touch, a hair's worth of space between them, but time seemed to slow down the longer he felt it. No one else had noticed it, all focused on their own meals, which he was thankful for. It kept them from seeing the way he forced himself to swallow what he'd been chewing, from seeing his face flush. But he was most thankful that Fusilia's right hand, which she'd used to balance herself on the table, hadn't slipped and done a swan dive onto his lap, where he knew she'd notice _something_ he really didn't want her to. Thank heavens he'd worn baggy pants.

As dinner wrapped up Terra was able to calm himself when Fusilia's attention went back to Aqua. He wasn't listening to a word they said, too full to even attempt eavesdropping. He laid a hand over his stomach and let out a sharp exhale. He might've eaten a bit too much. Eraqus pushed out his chair and stood up. "Thank you for your company, my pupils. I'll be retiring to my quarters now. Have a lovely night, all of you." His students got on their feet and bowed in respect to their Master, and when everyone began to disperse, Eraqus cleared his throat. "Terra. Fusilia. Just a moment." The two approached Eraqus in silence while Ventus and Aqua shuffled out of the dining hall. "As another part of your exercise for leaning to get along. you'll both clear the table tonight."

Fusilia raised a brow. "But isn't it Ven's night?"

"This is a special case. I'm sure it's not too much for both of you to handle." They were waiting for him to say he was kidding, that only one of them would clean up, but Eraqus didn't say a word more and left the two in the dining hall. The tranquil air quickly became awkward when the two realized they were all alone again. They just happened to look at one another at the same time and their eyes met, breath held in their chests. Fusilia turned away first and sucked her teeth, and pushed past Terra to start collecting the plates and cups. He followed her lead, already sensing the girl's horrible attitude resurfacing.

With all the dirty dishes in the sink and the table wiped down, all they had left was to wash everything and put the flatware away. Fusilia was surprisingly compliant and didn't utter a single complaint as she scrubbed the dishes clean and handed them off to Terra. Their fingers touched more than once, causing the two to freeze up and forget about the plate in their hands. The ceramic slipped out and fell to the floor, but not before Fusilia caught it before it shattered. She stood up and continued washing the dishes, the pattern repeating, until neither of them were able to catch a plate before it hit the tile floor and broke into pieces. "Nice going," she muttered to him.

"I didn't drop it! It fell out of your hand, too." She couldn't go one hour without starting something. He ignored Fusilia and focused on putting the clean dishes away in the higher row of cabinets. Each time he stretched up to push something in the cabinet he recalled reaching for the training disc, how Fusilia was practically trapped between his arms, staring up at him like a deer in lights. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips puckered, pupils dilated... He never felt more in control with her than in that moment in the training area. His gaze darted to the young woman putting away pots in a lower cabinet. She shuffled the metal items inside to neaten the stacks, unknowingly doing the same thing she had when collecting the discs. Her behind swayed side to side as she leaned further into the cabinet, her right leg bending and kicking up behind her. The knots in his stomach came back. Was she intentionally doing this to get a rise out of him? Was cursing him out and making him look like a fool not enough for her? He forced down the lump in his throat and tore his gaze away from the distraction before it got too hot in there. But the desire to know just what she was up to strengthened, and without another thought, Terra found himself leaning on the counter above her. "...Hey."

Fusilia heard his voice and popped out from the cabinet. Her first words were supposed to ask why he was bugging her but the way he watched her with that unreadable stare left her breathless. She blinked slow, unintentionally batting her eyelashes, noticing he had her caged in again. It was happening all over again. What was his deal? She wanted to question whatever was going on in that head of his but couldn't form words with the way he loomed over her. "...Yeah?"

Terra leaned closer to her until she was forced to crane her neck to keep eye contact with him. "You need to stop doing that."

"Doing what?" His hands inched a little closer to her, shrinking the box he trapped her in. She licked her lower lip and bit down on it. The room was getting hot again.

"You know what I'm talking about..." She wasn't budging. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

Fusilia's brows drew in. "Humor me," she told him, "Show me whatever it is I'm doing that's such a thorn in your side."

"We can start with that damn attitude of yours."

"This coming from the guy whose Firaga is comparable to a wet match."

Terra grit his teeth. "You're infuriating."

Fusilia's eyes narrowed. "And you're an asshole."

A vein pulsed on his temple. She just had to have the last say, had to one-up him in everything. And those eyes... He couldn't stand the way they glared up at him, intense and confident...with a hint of some emotion he couldn't put his finger on. Shyness? No... Terra's heart thumped hard in his chest. He neared her and pressed his body against hers, leaving her no room to move or think, and rested both hands on either side of her on the counter. Let loose she had a sailor mouth; right there in his grasp she barely let out a peep. The silence allowed him to study every little detail and change in her: her heart rate increasing, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her neck, her lips smacking together as she tried to figure out what was going on and what to do with herself, the way her chest squished right against the underside of his pecs. And the icing on the cake came from her eyes. They never left him and barely blinked, even as he leaned over and she swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat and licked her lips. Fusilia felt small for the first time in her life trapped between the counter and Terra, even more so when his lips parted. "You know," he began, his voice husky and low, "the way you shake your ass when you bend over is _really_ distracting. I can't focus when you do that." Heat surged through Fusilia's entire face and left a deep red hue from cheek to cheek. Terra smirked at her reaction. NOW he had her right where he wanted her. Slowly he shifted his leg forward and pushed his knee between hers, and shimmied them far enough apart to ensure she wouldn't try shrinking and crawling under him to escape. Still her eyes were glued to his, and she let out the tiniest of gasps. "What happened to that firecracker personality of yours? You're so quiet all of a sudden."

She immediately averted her gaze and chewed on her lower lip. "If you'd rather me blow out your eardrums," Fusilia commented, "I can arrange that. As for your other problem..." He'd been staring at her ass, she realized. _He'd been staring, watching my every move, probably even tried to grab it once._ The red on her face darkened and took over her ears. "...That sounds like a personal problem." Using his own words against him. Clever. "Maybe you should keep your focus on your training, before your own ass gets whooped."

"Maybe I have been focusing. Maybe my focus enabled me to to find a way to finally beat you." Her brows flew up momentarily. "But I have something else in mind." His hands inched closer inward to box her in even more, only halting when his thumbs brushed her waist, and he leaned down until their foreheads were touching. "You still owe me something."

"Oh? And what would that be? I don't recall losing a bet to you." She still had a little fire burning. Good. He wanted to break her down... _WHY_ did he want to break her down? Was he high off the sudden transfer of power? No, that wasn't all. His head pulled away just enough to swipe his cheek on hers and breathe into her ear. Shivers vibrated through Fusilia's nerves, her skin dancing against Terra's form. That's what he wanted, and from the look in her glazed-over eyes, a hint of lust was coursing through her as well.

"Dinner's over," he whispered. "You owe me dessert."

Fusilia nearly choked on her own saliva. He was back on that again, though this time was different. He had her locked between his limbs, stole her breath with just a glance. He couldn't have been thinking what she thought he was. Her eyes darted around the kitchen. She needed to think of a good comeback. "Careful, Terra. You'll upset your stomach if you overindulge."

The way his name rolled off her tongue excited him. "Hmph. I think I can handle it."

"Prove it."

"You're gonna regret those words."

"Bite me." Fusilia opened her mouth and chomped at the open air to mock him, but her effort to scare him off fell on deaf ears when his right hand slithered onto her waist, and his fingers curled around her flesh.

He didn't know what to make of what he heard next. A gasp, a squeak, a mewl? Some combination of the three? Whatever it was tightened the knots in his stomach and forced them further down. "I plan to." His lips brushed against her earlobe.

"Terra!" a voice echoed from outside the kitchen, and hard, fast footsteps followed. "You done yet? I've been waiting forever upstairs!" Terra's gaze shifted to the hall connecting the kitchen to the castle foyer. _Great._ He reluctantly backed off, let go of Fusilia's waist, and turned his back to the hall with crossed arms just as Ventus jogged in. "You done yet?" the blond repeated. "You promised to help me set up the new console after dinner." The man in question didn't answer. Ventus' eyes stared at him, then flicked to Fusilia, who still lingered on the counter with eyes squeezed shut and a red face, and the awkward vibes in the air suddenly got to him. "What's wrong? Did I miss something?"

Fusilia got her wits about her again and returned to reality. "No, Ven, everything's fine. A dish just fell and broke. I was about to sweep it up before you walked in." Ooh, she was good at covering her tracks. Terra cracked an eye open and watched her scurry off to the small closet in the corner of the room and retrieve a broom and pan, and hopped back to the mess they'd forgotten about.

Terra started to relax and the tension left his shoulders. "Sorry, Ven. Wasn't paying attention to the time."

He and Fusilia appeared nonchalant, maybe like they'd had a small argument in his absence, but something didn't sit well with Ventus. He sensed an elephant in the room. "Did something bad happen?"

"Yeah," Fusilia replied as she swept up the broken ceramic, "Terra was born." The elder sucked his teeth and glared at her. There was no point in bickering, though, with the tension still brewing in his gut and under his hakama. It was better to leave now that the mood was ruined.

Terra rolled his head to calm his muscles and started walking out of the kitchen. "Alright, let's get that thing set up."

"Finally!" the boy cheered. He spun around and ran back into the foyer, paying no attention to Terra halting after he had one foot out of the kitchen. The warrior stared at Fusilia, who met his gaze as she swept up the last of the shattered plate. The memory of him cornering her, of his breath blowing into her ear...his lips hovering above hers... Her mouth went dry again and she rushed to the sink to fill a glass with water. Terra watched her down the entire glass in a single breath, noting the muscles in her neck moving with each gulp. His eyes wandered down to her chest, remembering the three times her breasts were pressed onto him, and the knots in his stomach heated up and dropped between his legs. He cleared his throat and shook the thought from his mind, reminding himself that Ventus was waiting for him, and hurried off to catch up.

He really needed that shower now.


	3. Cooldown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was nice to think about something else for a second. Too bad the second didn't last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TFW you realize I've turned a volcano into an innuendo lol

Ven knew something was up when Terra strolled into his room with a blank expression across his face. He said few words and went straight for the box containing the gaming console, ignoring the blond boy's lingering stare on him. He was acting very strange - not that Ventus wasn't grateful for Terra helping him out. He just hadn't been himself lately. Since Fusilia joined them he'd been more annoyed and tense at times, but that was only when she was antagonizing him. They sparred a lot rougher with each other than they would with either himself or Aqua, gave each other dirty looks all the time... That wasn't Terra. The Terra he knew was stoic and kind, and knew when it was appropriate to turn up the heat. That was only during missions; the normal Terra had a genuine smile that was contagious at times, always offered to lend a hand, made sure the coast was clear before letting anyone through a potentially dangerous zone. "You sure you're alright?" Ven asked his friend while digging the instruction pamphlet from the box.

"I'm fine," the elder tried to reassure him, "it's nothing. Just a little exhausted from training today." Which wasn't a total lie. Though the girl pissed him off to no end Fusilia was an excellent opponent in one-on-one practice battles. She had Ven's abundance of energy and Aqua's cunning techniques, and combined with her own strength and fighting style, training with her was great. Before they'd been ordered to tidy up the training space their last sparring session was intense. They'd been going at it for at least an hour and neither looked ready to call it quits. Aqua was hesitant to go along with their wishes and set up a protective magic barrier but did so after they resumed their fight at full power. She put up the barrier moments before a rush of ice flew in her direction and crashed into the inner side of the glassy surface. It was then she knew why they'd wanted it up and she rushed off to find Master Eraqus before someone lost an eye, or worse. By the time she returned the barrier shattered and Ven had ducked behind one of the sandbags along the edge of the room, narrowly avoiding Fusilia's massive Firaga blasting onto the wall. Terra pinched between his brows. Why did he let her get inside his head," he asked himself, attention on plugging the wires into the right slots. It was horribly vexatious, even when compared to the tight strain searing through his back and arms. He bit back the pain enough to finish setting up the game system for Ventus, whose grin grew wider the closer they were to turning it on. Terra stepped back to inspect his work. Everything looked intact. He reached toward the television stand and grabbed the system controller, and tossed it to the boy. "That should do it. Just don't let Aqua find you playing it in the middle of the night. She might actually get mad."

"I promise," Ven chimed, though they both knew the promise wouldn't hold for long.

Terra rolled out his shoulders with a groan when he felt a cramp twist in one of his shoulderblades. She'd been right about one thing: he swung his Keyblade way too fast, and he was paying the price for it. "Well I'm gonna go shower. You have fun with your new toy."

As the elder apprentice turned to leave the room he heard the boy's feet hit the floor with a slight thud. "I can try talking to her if she's bothering you that much." His steps halted. Terra glanced over his shoulder at Ven, whose cheery face from seconds ago had calmed, and his brows began to draw inward. "I like her, but if Fusilia's making you angry to the point you get in trouble with the Master, I can't just stand by and let her hurt you. Maybe talking to her will calm things down. Even if it's just a little bit."

What a sweet kid. Terra couldn't help smiling at Ven's kind gesture and shifted back into the room to rattle his hair. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I'll handle it. There's no need for me to drag you into my mess." Ven's mouth opened to protest and Terra stopped him before he could utter a single word when he wrapped his arm lightly around the boy's neck and pulled him against his body, his fist twisting back and forth in the blond hair.

"H-hey! Come on, it took all day to get it like that."

"You're going to bed soon, anyway. Figured I'd help loosen it up." Ven squirmed until Terra released and listened to the elder laugh at his attempt at an angry face. "What would help is if I could get a break from her for a couple of days. Maybe she'll train with you tomorrow."

Ven caught on to what Terra was suggesting. "You got it!" Terra smiled big and pat Ventus' head once, then departed for the night. He left in a much better mood than earlier in the evening despite the tension curling in his back. As the elder closed the bedroom door behind him Ven relaxed and flopped onto his bed, letting out a puff of air. "He's not telling me something... And it has to do with her somehow." His hands folded behind his head and he watched the blades of his ceiling fan spin. Ventus was determined to figure out whatever secret they were hiding, and he began to formulate a plan in his mind.

Normally Terra hated when the halls were dead silent, but it was a blessing when it alleviated the headache starting to set in from hearing his own heart thump rapidly. His whole body felt hot. Every muscle strained as he began to undress in the bathroom, the door locked behind him. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the corner. His hands gripped the edge of the sink and his eyes met his reflection in the mirror. "What is wrong with me?" he questioned out loud, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. That was twice in one day he'd put himself in that position. That wasn't like him. Terra had had girlfriends in the past and the relationships started small before they got near that level; this was the first time he was in such close proximity to Fusilia and the room felt more like the inside of an oven. The air was boiling and heavy, pressing down on him when he loomed over her in the training area; their foreheads touching when he had her cornered in the kitchen enhanced it ten-fold. Did he finally snap? That had to be it. He swore he wouldn't put up with her attitude anymore and gave her a taste of her own medicine... _Had he really?_ Last he checked she'd never made such a move on him. Then again, seven straight months of uncalled for torment was capable of pushing things over the cliff.

 _No..._ No, that didn't explain it, either. Terra released a long sigh and unbuttoned his hakama, letting it drop and pool on the floor, and discarded the rest of his clothing to the same corner his shirt landed in. He thanked the heavens there was still hot water when he turned the faucet knob and steam began to fill the room. He didn't hesitate to step into the shower and dive right under the shower head, sighing a second time when the water poured onto his sore body. The water hit that perfect temperature he loved so much and he rested a forearm on the tile wall in front of him, hand curled into a fist, and leaned his head down so the spray directly blasted on his back. Terra stared at the shower floor. The day was a lot to take in. His exam privileges were on the line. He'd pushed his body past its limits today when sparring with Fusilia- His eyes widened. Even the mere mention of her name rattled his mind. The knots loosening in his back swam down and settled in the pit of his stomach before spreading downward, and he suddenly felt starved for breath. _Get her out of your head._ He grabbed the bottle of body wash and poured it onto a loofah, then pressed the soap onto his skin. _Concentrate on your training,_ Terra began to scrub the sweat and filth from his body top to bottom, the soap's foam sliding down the curves and indents of his chest and arms, flowing down his back and dripping to the floor, feeling its light tingle as it crawled around and down his thighs. He began to plan out his next training session. He'd be free of Fusilia for at least a day or two, leaving him able to focus without any sort of distractions from the redhead.

First, assume his opening stance. Hold the Keyblade in his left hand, fight the awkwardness of the change. Swing his arm out all the way, no stopping at waist level. Follow through with his strikes. Pull in his blade at just the right moment, and when the opponent lunged at him, step forward with a stabbing motion. Throw them off balance. Gain the upper hand. Back them int a corner. Leave them no openings to escape through. Claim your victory...

His mind stopped when he imagined the mock battle, the picture of the cornering tactic staying in focus. He'd already done that once - no, twice before, and it worked. She had nowhere to run when he caged her in with his hands, shifted his leg between hers, hips dangerously close to pressing onto one another. What next? Had Ven not run into the kitchen, Terra imagined, his other hand might've caressed her waist for a second, then slipped under her behind and lift her leg up to hook around his. Push forward until she couldn't lean away from him, tilt his head, bring his lips to hers. Toy with her. Leave her begging as he explored her body: rip her netted stockings; force his tongue in her mouth to get a proper taste; yank her ponytail to jerk her head back and change the angle; nip and suck on her skin to leave a trail down her neck; make her fight with herself between keeping quiet so the others wouldn't hear, or letting out every sound she could utter when he rocked his hips into hers and she felt the hardening heat between his legs--

His eyes shot open. _Dammit._ His mouth was parched, his chest heaving for every breath, his free hand hovering over his waist, the loofah dropped between his feet. _DAMMIT._ She'd gained the upper hand again and she wasn't even physically there. Yet every time he closed his eyes and drew in a breath, all he saw and felt was Fusilia laid out naked under him, her head craned up and her mouth wide open, her hands pinned on either side of her head, feeling himself pushing in and out of her body, the heat building with each stroke of contact. It infuriated him more with each blink, until at some point his own body was twitching and tingling, sweat mixing with the water spraying on him... And the high from before returned, spread out from his gut through every nerve in every muscle fiber. Terra gasped for air and stared at his trembling hand. One, two, three minutes passed.

"Shit..." he hissed. Maybe it was time to admit those sensations weren't a fluke.

* * *

"Is it really that hard to get along with him?" Aqua asked Fusilia, her right hand spread out while the latter held it steady and painted her nails. "I've known him since we were kids, and he's never made me that mad. You have to admit, you didn't give him much of a chance when you first met."

Fusilia finished painting the last finger and blew a gentle stream of air onto it. "Maybe if he was on time, I would've considered it," she bluffed, and reached for Aqua's other hand. "But I doubt that would've changed things."

"What exactly is it about him that you despise?" Hazel eyes flickered to the ceiling in thought.

"His face, for one. And then there's his aura. You and Ven have a 'gentle, soothing breeze' vibe. I don't know what's going on with him, but Terra's aura screams red flag to me."

Fusilia twisted the cap back onto the colored polish and switched it out for the clear one. She tapped the cap against her lip. "If I had to describe it, it kinda felt like I was...suffocating? I don't know. That's the best word I've got." The clear polish was opened and she began to apply it to Aqua's drying nails.

A pout formed on Aqua's face. "Maybe you just imagined it?" Fusilia shrugged her shoulders. "You should give him a chance. I know you two can become great friends like you and I did." A thought popped into her mind. "How about all four of us go to the summer festival happening in town next week? It'll be a nice day of fun and relaxation."

"Does it have to be on the first day?" Another puff of air to dry the glossy indigo nails.

"It lasts for a month, so we have time. Though I can't promise Ven will want to go right away."

"Hmm." Fusilia gave a half smirk. "I'll think about it. Give you the answer in a day or two?"

"Sure," Aqua nodded. Her gaze landed on the clock sitting on the bedside table. "Oh! It's getting late." She let Fusilia finish the last nail before she hopped to her feet. "You mind if I finish the other hand in my room?"

"Nah, go ahead and take it." The redhead swatted her hand and stood up, stretching her arms out to both sides. "Man, you're right, it is late! Time flies, huh?" Fusilia skipped to the bedroom door and opened it for Aqua, giving her a half hug before the elder apprentice turned down the hall and waving one last time while she walked to her room. The redhead smiled and took a step back to close her door, only to halt when she saw Terra approaching, covered only with a towel around his waist. Her face went red and she averted her gaze the moment he laid his eyes on her. She'd seen him shirtless one other time, but at least he had pants on then. The towel only went to his knees and stuck to his body like glue. He shifted sideways and her stare moved to his behind, perfectly accentuated by the damp towel clinging to him. Terra acknowledged her presence for a split second, turned to open the door to his room, then spun right back around. Fusilia was chewing her lower lip raw, knees tucked in and arms crossed as she squirmed side to side like a nervous child. Her armor and regular clothing were switched out to loose sweatpants and a camisole that exposed her collar bone and most of her chest-

 _Oh. Oh, no._ Her crossed arms sat underneath her breasts that rose and fell when she breathed. The fabric hung low enough to still conceal the necessary parts, but it did little to hide the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra.

They stood in their doorways, watching each other, frozen like the two previous instances. Though there was ample space between them this time, the longer their stares lingered on one another, the more it felt like their bodies were squished against each other, allowing them to feel every crevice and every shape and curve of the other's body. The sensual thought from the shower returned to Terra's mind and he grit his teeth. One of them had to move, had to do _something_ before things spiraled out of control.

Fusilia cracked first and shrank back into her room, slamming the door shut and locking it. Terra followed suit a second later. Chaos was avoided once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah. Ven plays PlayStation. Sorry, Xbox people.


	4. Timeout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They needed a break from each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly decided to take this story to a whole new level. You’ll see what I mean in due time.

Close the door and go straight to bed. That was the intended plan to avoid Terra and the bizarre tension he came with. She wanted to be rid of it before whatever this...thing going on between them got out of hand. She hated it. Whenever Terra loomed over her like that and boxed her in with nothing more than his arms and legs, the entire room became an oven. He'd done that twice already, and in both instances she clammed up and turned to stone under his gaze. She didn't even have to think to see that smug smirk of his, amused with her silence as he pressed their bodies together, closing the distance until he gave her that bite he promised- Fusilia shuddered at the mere thought of it. She told Aqua she would consider giving him a chance instead of constantly berating him, but it'd be difficult to even try with him acting so weird. It was the first time she couldn't come up with a snappy comeback to irk him, the first time she ever felt intimidated by the man. And then there was his aura. Fusilia wasn't joking when she told Aqua his aura gave her a bad vibe. There was just _something_ about Terra her instincts couldn't agree with; whatever that something was, was anyone's guess. She was glad to have closed the door when she did. Staring at Terra, watching water droplets drip from his hair onto his shoulders, then roll across every muscle in his bare chest and abdomen until it was absorbed by the towel around his waist - the only thing keeping him remotely clothed. The sight stole her breath and set her nerves on fire as she shivered where she stood. Was his aura to blame for her involuntary reaction? Was she right about her instincts from the beginning?

A knock on her door broke her train of thought. First one tap, then four more against the wood. "Aqua?" she said to the door. Maybe she'd already finished painting her nails and came back to return the polish. It wasn't a big deal if her friend held onto it, but Fusilia wasn't going to turn her away in the middle of the night. "Coming." The redhead rolled off her mattress and shuffled over to the door, heel of her palm rubbing her eyes, and turned the knob. "You didn't have to give it back right away. I know yo-" Her sentence caught in her throat. Where she believed Aqua would be standing was instead Terra, eyes lingering down on her. She had to force herself to swallow. "Uh, what are you... why aren't you in your room? It's late and I-"

Without warning he pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. The surprise in her widened eyes was evident as he took a step forward and she backed away from him. At least he was actually clothed; she preferred the tank top and sweatpants covering him far more than the towel that looked seconds from unfurling and dropping to the floor. But that didn't begin to even scratch the surface of explaining why he'd knocked on her door in the middle of the night. As if reading her mind Terra let out a breathy chuckle. "Now we can continue from where we left off yesterday." Her heart rate doubled as a deep red spread across her cheeks and the tiniest sound escaped her. "That's so adorable. You're usually so loud and annoying. Those little squeaks of yours are something I could get used to." He was doing it again...whatever _it_ was. His aura had morphed into something intense, putting pressure onto her shoulders and squeezing around her legs. The cold darkness she sensed when they first met was gone, leaving the unfamiliar furnace in front of her that kept cranking the heat higher by the moment. Terra tilted his head as he studied her expression. "What is it? Did you think we were finished?" She averted her gaze and stared at the closet door on the other side of the room until she felt his hand tuck under her chin and turn her head back to face him. He stepped forward again and she backed away, the ritual repeating until her back hit the wall.

"What...why..." She didn't know where to begin with this guy. First he annoyed her to no end, then he flipped the switch and prowled like a hungry beast cornering its prey. "What are you up to?" she began, ready to get some answers out of him. "Look, I get that you hate my guts - I hate yours, too - but this... This is getting really weird, Terra. If you've got something to say to me, then just say it, because whatever it is you're trying to-" Her words ceased when the man in question lunged forward and laid his lips on hers. The contact was light, minimal, just enough to leave her a statue unable to do anything other than stare at him with wide hazel eyes.

"Ssshhh..." Terra waited until Fusilia calmed before pulling away. He noted the way she bat her eyelashes in shock, unsure of what else she should do. Once she was calm he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, then dropped it and snaked it around her waist. "Relax, Fusilia." Oh man. The way he said her name enhanced the shivers already surging through her body, and his hand rubbing the middle of her back didn't help. He kept her head tilted up so their eyes stayed glued to one another. With his body nearly pressed against hers she could feel every little movement: his chest rising and falling with each slow, deep breath as his heart raced at an impossible rate; each flex and contraction of the muscles under his shirt when he jerked his hand forward and pushed her flush against him; his leg creeping between hers and spreading them apart so she couldn't slip away; the lump suddenly poking her thigh. His face was way too close. Fusilia licked her lips, her mouth parched out of nowhere, and watched him hover over her as if he was studying every little feature that made up her face. "This is just what you get when you tease me."

Her brows drew in. "What d-" She could barely start her question before Terra smashed their lips together. The hand under her chin shifted behind her head and laced itself in her hair. Fusilia momentarily groaned, her eyes closing on their own, when the hand on her back slipped down and cupped her behind, rounding it until that little sound he craved came out of her. He pulled her hair free from its ponytail and took a fistful in when he felt her starting to melt into his touch. Her own hands crawled up his torso, following the stitches in his tank top to his chest. One continued further and hooked over his shoulder. With a squeeze to her behind her mouth opened mid-kiss just enough for Terra to slide his tongue in and meet hers. She had a foul mouth on her, but damn the taste made him overlook her vulgar vocabulary. He tugged her hair to change the angle of the kiss and another sound erupted from her throat. It was when the hand groping his chest sank down and reached around to press their hips together that he began to unravel. The hand in her hair joined the other on her behind and lifted her effortlessly off the floor while hers curled around his neck. Terra stumbled with her in his arms, having no idea where he was going until he felt the mattress hit his knees and he fell forward. The bed creaked when Fusilia landed on it, a second time when Terra climbed on top of her and positioned himself between her legs. Their lips separated to allow them to catch their breath. He reached to the hem of her camisole and wormed his fingers underneath. She squirmed and fought back the moan rumbling in her throat, but Terra's mouth landed on her neck and sucked on the skin with wet, sloppy kisses until she set it free.

Her skin was burning underneath him. She fidgeted with what little room she had between his body and the mattress to grab his tank top. Terra let go of her just long enough to let Fusilia peel the fabric up. Impatience hit him with how slow and hesitantly she lifted the fabric, and he snatched it from her hand when it was bunched around his neck, tossing it aside before returning to her neck. Her legs, still on either side of him, squeezed inward and wrapped around his waist when his hands slithered up to her breasts. She sucked in a sharp breath when he groped them and started massaging in circles. Fusilia buried her face into his shoulder and nipped his flesh at the sensations fogging her mind, and sank her teeth in further when he returned the bite. "I told you I planned to," he purred under her chin, and pulled the skin between his teeth until a red welt appeared. His hair was yanked in response and he growled back at her, tightening his hold on her chest. She let out a gasp and jerked her hips up to meet his, and combined with her hands caressing every inch of his body while untying the drawstring of his sweatpants, he felt himself losing control faster by the second. Terra's hands retracted and pulled the camisole over her chest and head, throwing it to the floor, then dove a hand straight down to slip under her pants. Her eyes shot wide open. Fusilia's hand tightened in his hair and pulled hard on the brown locks as the sensations coiled in her gut and sank down to meet his hand playing with her underwear. Every nerve tingled with each flick of his fingers digging their way beneath the thin fabric. She couldn't control how her body twitched and bucked against his hand, or the sweat gathering between their grinding bodies, or the moans escaping her when he took a breast into his mouth and swirled his tongue across-

Fusilia's eyes flew open. She stared at her ceiling, panting and sweaty, one hand gripping the sheets twisted around her legs. Hazel darted back and forth as she sat up and searched the room for Terra. Her heart was speeding too fast. Chest heaving, Fusilia quickly realized she was alone in her room. Terra was nowhere to be found, intuition told her, but she couldn't - wouldn't - believe it until she looked in every hiding spot in the room. She swallowed the lump caught in her throat and wiped her head on her arm. "Thank god..." she whispered to herself, until her gaze moved down to her other hand under her sweatpants...beneath her underwear, fingers curled in... A heavy blush took over her face. Slowly she slid her hand out, feeling slick between her fingers, and stared at the appendage as she held it up. Mouth agape, the revelation dawned on her of the warmth pooled between her legs, the wet substance on her fingers, and her face heated up. It was all a dream. There was no Terra hovering over her, kissing and touching her as she slowly unraveled. She wasn't being seduced or stripped naked. Her breath even, she shot out of bed and dashed out of her room to the bathroom. The faucet was turned on full blast as she ran her hand under the cold water and pumped soap until both hands were completely covered by suds and bubbles. Hands clean, she splashed cold water onto her face and shook off the excess before wandering back to her room. She fell backwards with a long sigh.

"Fuck."

She needed to avoid Terra for a while.

* * *

As if she knew the plan all along, Fusilia dragged Ven outside to train after lunch. She avoided eye contact with Terra as much as possible and didn't say a word to him. How could she look at him, when just his presence in the same area reminded her of the dream from the night before. It felt too real. Eraqus thought nothing of their separation, merely glad to have peace and quiet in the estate. He assumed the metaphorical 'get-along shirt' trapping his two pupils started working. He sat on the steps outside the castle and observed his students practice with their partners. Terra and Aqua seemed occupied with condensing the range of their spells, and Ven and Fusilia were busy jogging around the compound. Everything was at peace, washing a wave of relief over the Master, who was now confident that Fusilia and Terra wouldn't try ripping each other apart anymore.

Aqua shot a beam of ice from the tip of her Keyblade. Aimed at a target on the other side of the garden, she timed her steps and casting perfectly in sync, and hit the bullseye. "Now you try," she said to Terra, who was leaning against the fence railing while she literally worked her magic. He stepped forward, Aqua hopping backwards a few steps to give him room. He was used to swinging his Keyblade with both hands, or his dominant one if he stayed with one side, and wanted to experiment with his wielding. That would come next; for now, he straightened his posture and took his place on a line in the grass, pointed his Keyblade in front of him, and narrowed his eyes. Ice gathered at the point of the blade. He drew in a slow, calm, deep breath, waited a moment, then fired the ice. The beam twirled in the air as it soared across the garden and sank dead on into the waiting target. The wood splintered and shattered like glass as the ice seeped into the cracks and expanded. Terra hummed to himself. "You're getting the hang of it. I'm impressed." Aqua pat his shoulder and smiled.

"It's a lot easier than I thought it'd be," he replied, lowering his arms. "Maybe next time you can double the distance."

"And have the risk of you completely missing?" she joked. "Okay. When we get new targets I'll make it a real challenge for you. Maybe I'll triple the distance."

On the other side of the castle Fusilia was jogging backwards. "Come on, slowpoke!" she called to Ven, who was still a ways off from the end. "You won't get any faster by lolly-gagging."

The blond boy panted as he finally caught up to her. "You...you know, when I said I wanted to increase my speed, I wasn't expecting an infinite jog around the castle grounds." He hopped to a stop in front of her and hunched over, hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"Oh, relax, it was only a couple of kilometers."

"You call seven 'a few'?" He swiped his hand across his forehead to get rid of the sweat dripping into his eyes. "How are you not tired? I'm usually the one outrunning Aqua and Terra, but..." Another huff of breath was sucked in. "Man, not even I'm that fast. The hell kinda training did you have with Master Jenova?"

The mention of her former master's name took the bounce out of her step. "Pretty much the same as Master Eraqus, with a few tweaks." Fusilia gestured her head toward a nearby ledge and walked alongside Ven to sit down, passing him one of the water bottles beside them. "You know how we have target practice here with those magic orbs? Well, Master Jenova reversed it." Ven's head perked up in curiosity. "We were the targets."

Ven's head tilted sideways as his brows drew in. "...What? How does that even work?" He couldn't begin to imagine what that method entailed.

"Master Jenova was...how do you say... 'eccentric'. She knew anything could happen on the battlefield and wanted her students to be ready to bolt at the first sign of imminent danger. So..." Fusilia almost seemed reluctant to continue. She waited for Ven to tell her he wanted to hear the rest, and she nodded when his eyes spoke for him. “We were thrown head first into a pit of Unversed.”

His eyes became saucers. “WHAT?”

“Yeah, everyone reacts that way when I tell them. Master Jenova figured the best way for her apprentices to up their speed was by pitting them against the very danger we were preparing for. We weren’t allowed to use our Keyblades or any magic; all we had to do was survive and outrun the Unversed before anything happened.” She didn’t seem fazed in the slightest by the memories of her old training method.

“So in short...she threw you directly to the wolves.”

“That’s one way to put it.” Fusilia paused to sip her water. “It actually wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Yeah, I was scared at first, but the training taught me to rely less on my blade and more on my own natural abilities. As controversial as it was in the beginning, it worked. And honestly...” Her gaze watched the grass fluttering in the breeze. “I don’t think I’d be able to keep up with Terra if I hadn’t gone through that.”

It was the first time she mentioned Terra without getting salty about it. It was weird, to say the least, and reminded him of what he'd offered Terra the night before. "About him," he began, taking a moment to make sure no one else was close enough to hear, "why are you so mean to Terra? I'd understand if he did something bad to you, but you've been like this toward him since day one. I don't think that's fair to him." Fusilia blinked, surprised that Ven was being serious for once. He rarely ever showed that side of himself, and if he did, then she knew it was an issue.

She opened her mouth, ready with a response, but immediately retracted the statement before it ever left. Saying she didn't like his face or something along those lines wouldn't suffice. "When we first met, and us and Aqua were hanging out, everything was fine. Then Terra came late; that has nothing to do with it, though. It's just this...feeling I got from him that made me uncomfortable."

"So you _do_ like him!" Fusilia had tipped her water bottle to take a big gulp, which she spit out in an instant. The water sprayed all over the grass and her boots as she gawked at Ven, feeling the blood start to rush to her cheeks. "I had a feeling about it!"

"N-no! No, no no no no no! Where the hell'd you get an idea like that?"

"'Cuz girls are weird."

Her eyebrow twitched. "Girls are 'weird', huh?" Fusilia half-smirked and crushed the water bottle in her hand, shooting a geyser onto Ven. He tried to lean away but was trapped between her and a fence post. "We're only 'weird' because you boys make us react like that with _your_ strange tendencies!" The bottle empty, she shot up onto her feet and laid her fists against her hips, watching Ven shake his head and wipe off whatever water he could. "By the way, your hair's falling."

It was Ven's turn to jump to his feet. "Aw, come on! It took me all morning to get it like that!" His hands scrambled to his hair as he ran his fingers through in an attempt to re-shape it, taking more than a minute to realize she'd been joking when she nearly fell over in a fit of laughter. "Hey!"

"See? One drop of water on your hair and you start grooming yourself like a cat!" Ven's eyes were glued on Fusilia as she hopped backwards out of his reach. A little growl erupted from his throat, enough to tell Fusilia he was pumped up again. "If you want an apology, you're gonna have to catch me!"

"No fair!" She was already part way across the field by the time he forgot about the water and bounced into a chase after her.

"You'll have to be faster than that!"


	5. Temptation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was nothing to stop the collision now.

The apprentices were up bright and early the day Master Eraqus departed for his conference. Terra was the only one not around to see him off, having left at the crack of dawn the previous day on a last-minute assignment. With Terra gone and Fusilia occupied with Aqua and Ven the estate seemed much calmer, and further reassured Eraqus that things were improving. "I shouldn't be away for more than a week; but if that changes I'll send word immediately. Don't take my absence as an excuse to throw any wild parties." Chuckles sounded between the four as they all eyed Ventus, who crossed his arms and let out a big puff of air while they laughed, knowing they weren't serious. Wiping a stray tear from his eye Eraqus shifted his attention to his top pupil. "Aqua." Her posture straightened at the sound of her name. "You're in charge while I'm gone. Make sure Fusilia and Terra don't burn down my castle."

Laughter returned to the four, Fusilia rolling her eyes at the joke. "Will do, Master," Aqua replied with a slight bow of her head.

"Fusilia." Their attention switched to the redhead. "Please try to keep the arguing to a minimum. You and Terra have been doing so well the past two days; I'd hate to see all that work regress." He watched her nod in acknowledgement and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I've been told Master Jenova will be attending the conference. I'll be sure to give her your best if I see her." Fusilia's grin grew wide at the mention of her former master.

"That would be great, Master, thank you."

"Of course." Without warning his students all rushed in and gave the man a big hug, which warmed his heart as he returned the gesture. "Once I return, Aqua, we can discuss making preparations for your Mark of Mastery Exam. And if you both show me good behavior and better teamwork, perhaps I'll consider you and Terra for early preliminary testing." Wide grins spread across all the apprentices. They parted and Eraqus turned back toward the hillside, and he began his descent to prepare his armor and vehicle for travel. They waited to see the familiar glimmer of light they knew was their Master opening a gateway, and watched until it vanished.

Fusilia cooked everyone breakfast after their master's departure, and around 11am, Ven was jumping all over the place in excitement. "Come on, Aqua! We're gonna miss it!" He bolted down the stairs and out the foyer to the castle walkway outdoors, stopping every few steps to see how far behind the girls were. Aqua in particular was already burnt out by the younger's anticipation and took her time walking to the base of the stairs. Ven bounced up and down, flailing his fists about, until the girls caught up to him. "Come on," he repeated, "it's starting!"

The girls rolled their eyes at him. "The festival's not going anywhere, Ven," the redhead told him. "Don't burst a blood vessel now, otherwise you won't be able to do anything there." A sense of relief washed over Aqua when he finally calmed down and silently thanked Fusilia with a glance and grin.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Aqua inquired one last time. "It's a lovely day out." Which was true. The weather and temperature were perfect for a day out in town, and synched just as well with the start of the annual summer festival they'd talked about a few days before. She did want to go, but part of her was feeling a little cozy, and she shook her head.

"Thanks, but I'll pass for today. I want to get some solo training done. It's rare I have a huge empty space to myself." Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Ven staring back at her. "Aww, come on! Don't give me those puppy eyes! The festival's around for a month; we've got plenty of time to go together."

He actually looked more ready to go than worried about her not joining them. "We'll bring something back for you. Any special requests?"

"Surprise me," she replied. "I'll go double for something deep-fried and covered in sugar." Which she knew Ven would go for immediately, despite Aqua monitoring how much sweets he ate. Fusilia leaned close to Aqua and whispered in her ear, "Let me know if it's worth giving Terra a chance over." Aqua agreed to take pictures to show her when they returned, and within minutes the two apprentices were off, disappearing over the curve of the bumpy hills and leaving Fusilia on her own. She strolled back into the estate and began to plan out her day. It was still before noon, giving her plenty of time to work on whatever she wanted, and after some consideration she settled on a special exercise she'd come to love. Every once in a while, Master Eraqus would have his students leave their Keyblades on the sidelines and spar against one another in hand-to-hand combat. Outside of spell-casting, free-handed combat was her absolute favorite, and she wished they did it more often. It reminded her so much of the training Master Jenova had her do on a regular basis and made Fusilia feel as if the woman was still beside her every day. She opened the supply closet and took out a variety of standing padded targets and a weighted sandbag, along with a yoga mat, and set them up in a layout she liked before skipping off to her room to change. The training also allowed her to dress down in more comfortable workout gear that she rarely got to use, and she didn't hesitate to put on the new leggings she bought on a shopping spree with Aqua the month before. The gray tights matched well with the red sports bra and sneakers she got on sale, and she was delighted to finally be able to make use of them.

Returning to the training space, Fusilia noticed the warmth from the outside had seeped into the castle and mixed with the air, leaving the room a bit hotter than normal. It made her even more glad she wasn't wearing her usual leotard and bolero. She hopped to the wall and turned on the speaker she brought from her room, and paired it up with the music player, blasting the volume near its highest level. First she would stretch. Fusilia shifted sideways a few steps and swung her leg forward, then back, and forward again, and landed her foot flat on the surface. She winced a little, noting how out of practice she felt compared to her peak. "Oh well," she mused, and slowly tilted her body toward the extended leg. Hands and arms stretched out, she was able to reach her toes with only a minor strain, and released the hold after counting sixty seconds in her head. She repeated the process with her other leg and found similar results. "I'm WAY out of practice." She pushed off the wall and lined her feet up, toes pointed out, and folded herself down to reach the floor. It hurt a bit as she made her descent but the pulling sensations quickly subsided when she reached the floor, finding herself able to flatten the tips of her fingers on the tiles. She counted in her head again before standing up straight and rolled out her shoulders, then legs and neck, and moved on to jumping jacks the moment she felt looser. Fusilia counted to fifty, then decided to push herself and continued until she hit ninety and felt her muscles tightening. She stopped jumping and instead dropped to the floor to bend her leg up as far as she could while planking to try and get rid of the strain. Left leg first, then the right, then one more time with each. After that came the splits, which she knew she might have a little trouble with after feeling so stiff with her basic stretches. Front and back were first. She spread her legs and began to sink to the floor at a gradual pace, keeping her torso as straight as possible. As she expected it was uncomfortable at first and she had to stop several times before she reached the floor. Eyes squeezed shut, she forced herself to hold the pose until she counted a minute in her head, the strain loosening itself in increments. Once she felt stable she arched her back and reached for the back leg, barely grabbing her toes as her knee bent, and held it for as long as she could. She stood up afterward and did the same split after switching the positions of her legs. The second time was much easier, thankfully, and once the tension left her limbs she felt ready to do the final one. The sideways split took almost no effort and she held it while laying her torso on the floor and stretching her arms out in front of her. She was starting to feel like herself again. With all the stretching out of the way she took a minute to down some water, then took a stance in front of the sandbag and began to punch it.

The door to the main entryway creaked open, its sound resonating through the foyer, and Terra walked in. He rubbed the back of his neck where he felt the indent his armor left on his skin. His assignment was a request from another Master and Eraqus had recommended him for the job. He didn't mind helping out another Master; he just wished it hadn't been a last-minute request. It didn't give him much prep time and he was forced to skimp out on a few extra hours of sleep. He wanted nothing more than to hop in the shower, let the steaming water relax his sore muscles, and go straight to bed for a nap after all that traveling and combat. The door closed, Terra picked up on the music playing and echoing from the next floor, and ascended the stairs to investigate. It wasn't the kind of music he normally heard playing through the estate's common areas. He glanced at a large clock on the wall halfway up the stairs. 12:45. Maybe the others were training or throwing a party, though he knew Aqua would never let them get away with the second option. At the top step he froze when he caught sight of Fusilia by the middle of the left wall, her hands planted on it as she hopped back and forth in a mock mountain climb gesture, none the wiser to his presence. Terra stood there in silence, resting an arm on the banister, and watched her twist and maneuver her body, switching from one position to another, until she was a few meters from the wall, on her hands and feet, her body propped up in a tent shape. He turned away with a cough, already feeling the room grow warmer. The faint noise caught her attention and she happened to glance through the tiny space between her legs. Hazel landed on Terra when she shimmied them apart and her eyes blew out into saucers. "Uhh... Hi."

"...Hey..." He gave her a weak wave. Wow, this was awkward. He'd complained about her ass being a major distraction that night in the kitchen - he still didn't know what the hell he was thinking with that - and when he arrives home after a long and tiring mission, what does he find? The very thorn in his side posed with her ass in the air, in skin-hugging activewear, with no one else around and sweat dripping from her body. his breathed coiled into a lump in his throat and he forced it down with a hard swallow. What the hell else was he supposed to say? She was _still_ in that same position, staring at him from between her legs, basically inviting him to try something stupid--

Fusilia whistled, pulling his mind back to reality. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

 _Don't tempt me._ "Uh, sorry," he began, "I just didn't expect to walk into..." He couldn't keep gawking at her, especially with her staring back at him and waiting for god knows what. Clearing his throat he focused his gaze on the intricate moulding on the opposite wall, and swallowed a second lump blocking his airway. "Where's everyone else?"

“Gone.” Obviously. “Master Eraqus left for his conference this morning. Said he'll probably be gone for a week or so. Ven and Aqua went to the summer festival in town. He wouldn't stop nagging her until she caved."

"That sounds like her, unfortunately." He let out an awkward chuckle. If it weren't for the music still playing Terra didn't know how he'd be able to keep his composure. He was still looking away when he heard Fusilia straighten to stand and roll out her joints. One quick glance had him avoiding her again when he saw the exposed, sweat-slicked skin of her abdomen. The temperature was rising again; why didn't the training area come equipped with an air conditioner, or at least a ceiling fan? She laid her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, waiting for him to say or do something. "Uhh... Why didn't you go with them? To the festival?"

Fusilia shrugged. "I felt like doing a solo workout. Besides it's only the first day of the festival; we've got the rest of the month to go." She just realized what she said. "OH, uhh, I mean..." Dammit why was he just standing there?

While she argued with herself in her mind, Terra suddenly got a crazy idea. "...Need a partner?" Her internal struggle halted and her eyes were back on him, brows drawn in. Crap. Maybe he shouldn't have been so forward. He almost bit his tongue when he replayed that stupid moment in his head over and over, only half-aware that he was strolling her way. By the time he noticed and came to a stop there was barely any space between the two. They stared at one another in silence, Fusilia craning her head up to meet his eyes as she licked her lips. It took him a moment to notice how quiet she'd become. He didn't even have to box her in to silence her, it appeared. Somewhere in his head, a dark voice in his subconscious told him to remember that.

She had to get him away from her, but she couldn't be the one caving again. "Aren't you...tired?" she forced out, wondering why her chest felt so heavy when he towered over her. "Didn't you just get back from your assignment?"

"I did. But I can spare some time. We have the castle to ourselves for the day; we should take advantage of it-" Terra nearly bit his tongue as the blood rushed to his cheeks. _STUPID._ WHY did he say that? He only hoped she was too frazzled to have noticed.

In her head, Fusilia was too busy with her own conundrum to notice Terra's internal struggle. This was the last thing she had in mind when she'd considered giving Terra a chance. Having a nice little chat? Sure, she could handle that. Hanging out at the summer festival? No problem. But this? Was he out of his mind? She continued to watch him, waiting for him to crack, but once again found herself the one to submit, and she gave him a slow nod. "Okay."

"Okay." He took a step backwards and removed his armor fragment, laying it beside the speaker. "Where do we start?"

This was really happening. Fusilia shook her head until she returned to her senses. "Well," she began, "I'm pretty much finished with my workout session. Been at it since Ven and Aqua left. The only other thing would be a cool-down stretch to keep my muscles from cramping." Hesitantly, she motioned for him to follow her to the floor and spread her legs wide, then gestured with her chin until he did the same. She swung her arms in and clapped her hands, questioning one more time if she should really continue or call it a day and take a cool shower. She met his eyes again, her lips flattening to a line with the unpleasant vibes swimming in the surrounding air. He was doing it again...whatever _it_ was. He'd offered to help her; maybe it'd stay that way. She considered his offer one last time with her lips drawn into a pout. Well she already dipped her toes in the water; might as well jump in. "Okay, put your feet against my ankles." She waited for him to fix his position, then held her hands out in front of her in the middle of their makeshift diamond. "Give me your hands." Terra complied, moving just as slow as she'd hoped, but not enough to keep her from noticing a weird tingle when his fingers curled around her hands, nearly covering the entire surface. "We'll do a simple stretch. Just pull forward until you're hovering right over the floor, then count to sixty. You want to pull first, or should I start?" He pointed to her with his gaze, and inch by inch, she began to tug his arms to lower his torso.

Terra winced a little. Had he not just been hunched on his air bike for a few hours he could bear the stretching. But the pathway was bumpy and rattled him inside his armor for the entire trip. He closed his eyes and hid the bit of pain in his lower abdomen, thankful she'd gone slow. After a few seconds the tension released and his eyes peeled open to look ahead of him. Fusilia's thighs were the first thing in his line of sight, accentuated by the dark fabric stretching over her flesh. Moving up he stared at her stomach. Had she always been that toned? A drip of sweat rolled from under her sports bra down her torso, rippling over her navel as it evaporated. His position only allowed his eyes to track up to her chest, though a small part of him wished he hadn't. From that angle, so close to her body, he could observe every breath she inhaled or exhaled when her diaphragm pushed the underside of her breasts out a bit. The bra covered more than that camisole had but stuck to her as the leggings did, and he could trace each curve in her outline. After what felt like an eternity she set him upright again. “You alright?”

“I'm good,” he said, and started to pull her body toward the floor. Her eyes closed as she got used to her muscle fibers extending. This position... It hit him hard. Her ponytail hung halfway off her back, some of it slicked against her neck, the rest following her spine. And then he got to her waistline. Her thighs were taught in the middle of the stretch, aligning perfectly with her torso, and her ass- Terra needed to remember to breathe correctly instead of holding it in every time he saw her behind. This angle showed it off in a way he never thought he'd look at it from. His gaze returned to her head and chest, and when he saw her breasts from the side, nearly touching the floor, he thought he was going to lose it, especially with the heat flying through his body that swam between his legs.

Near the end of her stretch Fusilia opened her eyes. She had to admit that Terra was a good partner for stretches. His long limbs amplified the depth, pushing her just enough past her limit where she wasn't in pain but still got the most out of it. She'd hate to tell him the truth, though telling him meant the possibility of him helping her stretch and unwind again someday... Her heart thumped hard under her ribs. If he were to do this with her another time with no interruptions, would it stay at just exercising? Was he capable of keeping his hands to himself- No, she gulped, she didn't know if _she'd_ be capable. She'd been the first to crack, the first to say something, the first to move in all three of the previous instances. It was bound to be a repeat. Watching Terra's muscles flex from afar was already a pain to try ignoring, and with him that close she felt her sweat cooling rapidly and making her shiver. It was getting worse than last time. Looking at what little of him she could from the low angle reminded her of his body against hers, trapping her between himself and the kitchen counter, feeling the contours of his chiseled frame beneath that annoyingly erotic excuse of a shirt he wore. If he were right in front of her, right next to her... right behind her-- Her cheeks flushed and took on a deep red hue. She let out a small, almost inaudible squeak while her mind ran rampant, and barely noticed when the pressure left her ankles and Terra's legs pulled in as he straightened himself.

When he let her legs free he expected her to sit up and shake it off like it was nothing, not stay parallel to the floor with only centimeters of space in between.Terra raised an eyebrow. “You okay down there?” The noise came a second time as she found herself suddenly unable to move. He backed away and lowered to her level, his face creeping closer when he turned it sideways. “Fusilia?” _Oh my god_. The way he said her name sent chills vibrating all the way down her spine. And then one of his hands hesitantly rested on her cheek as he leaned closer. _Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no shit shit shit-_

“...I think I'm stuck,” she finally blurted out in a high pitch, and planted her hands on the floor below her face to keep herself steady. “I can't move. Can you help me up?” He immediately stood up and rushed behind her, hands hovering for a moment and wondering where he could put them without it being awkward. Terra crouched down and slid his hands in the small space at the middle of her body, fingers rubbing into her sweat-slicked abdomen to get a good grip without sliding off.

“Okay. I'm gonna pull you up now.” Fusilia nodded and waited. "On the count of three. One...two...three-" Slowly Terra gradually lifted her up. He body started to relax the higher she went, and after a minute she was able to stand on her own, and she breathed a long sigh of relief. Wow. He'd actually helped her. Her lips parted to thank him, not expecting this level of kindness from the guy she was always tormenting, but no words came out when her eyes happened to dart down and saw his hands still on her midsection, fingers spread wide, grip still firm, and he caught on moments later. Everything came to frution. Terra wasn't just behind her: his chest was flush with her back, her head almost to his shoulders, his hands slowly rubbing circles on her abdomen, his crotch against her behind...

Oh crap, they thought in unison. Fusilia craned her head up and turned slightly left to observe his face, not expecting him to be staring back with parted lips. The redness in her face spread out to her ears, the warmth spreading onto his chest and over his speeding heart. They'd never been in this position before. The longer their stares lingered on one another the higher the room's temperature climbed. They became statues. She licked her lips.

“..I... I, uh... I'm going to shut the music off.” By some stroke of luck Fusilia wormed her way out of his arms and dashed to the wall the speaker rested on. She knelt and pushed a switch on the speaker to turn it of, then shuffled to the music player and did the same. “There we go.”

The minute she was standing again Fusilia felt her entire body spin and trip, then flatten against the wall. Her eyes widened when she discovered the source of whatever force was responsible. Her lips were crushed onto Terra's, his tongue swimming into her mouth, one hand hiking her leg off the floor and to the back of his thigh, the other indecisive on whether it should be on her waist or fisted in her hair, his hips keeping her in place. His heart beat wildly in his chest. His kiss was hungry, greedy, he gave her no room to so much as fix the one leg she was barely balancing on. She had to use her hands to grab onto whatever part of him was closest to keep herself from falling while he tilted his head to change the angle. Her hands hooked on his shoulders after aimlessly waving around. Her eyes had closed the moment he leaned sideways and the kiss deepened enough to suck her mind in, forgetting all about the awkward air and the turmoil between them. Right as Fusilia was settling into the position Terra lightly yanked her hair, forcing their lips apart to give him access to her neck. He smirked against her flesh when she choked back a moan after he grazed his lips over her throat. He pushed her chin aside and began sucking on her skin at a painfully slow rate, taking his time with exploring her while leaving one mark after another on her. Her fingers curled in and dug into his shoulders, and it dawned on her that there'd be no more playing pretend between the two.

Working his way back up, Fusilia lost herself in his touch until he suddenly pulled away. Her eyes fluttered open and studied everything about him. Were his eyes always that blue? His pupils had dilated, his aura darker than she recalled. They were both panting, having forgotten to breathe as they consumed one another. Everything was boiling: the air, the wall, his breath, his tongue, his saliva, his hands securing her against him, his crotch still pressed onto hers. She couldn't stand it. Terra lowered to her ear as his hand carded in her hair, tongue rounding her earlobe. "You are so infuriating," he whispered. "You piss me off to no end with the way you keep teasing me."

Her breathing pattern rattled at his words, and she gasped when his tongue rounded her ear. "...T...tease?"

He let out a low chuckle. "Don't make me spell it out for you." The hand holding her leg up tucked it behind his and slid up her thigh, rounding her behind. "I told you once already: your ass is a distraction, and you need to stop waving it around in front of me."

“What exactly...is so distracting about it?” she managed to ask. Terra nuzzled into the crook of her neck and drew in slow, deep breaths, his exhales tickling her skin and making her shudder in his arms. "T-Terra-" He silenced her with another sloppy kiss, humming at the way she pulled in the leg curled around his and bumped their hips together. The hand in her hair let go of her locks and slid down to the hem of her bra. His fingers wormed under the fabric stuck to her skin and ran along her spine, making her shudder and gasp again, and her nails dug deeper into him. He did it a second time, then a third, and followed after each breath with kisses all over her throat and along her jawline, noting the way she tried turning his way each time to find his lips.

“You picked the wrong day to wear those clothes,” he commented. "I thought we had this conversation already. Then I return home and find you bent over... Can't keep taunting the dog with the bone.” Her eyes widened. Oh- He didn't allow her to complete a single thought and smashed his mouth to her again. His hands slithered out from their holds, and with both free, Terra grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head. “At some point the dog's gonna figure out how to snatch it.” A cool sensation emanated from his hands, and when he let go, Fusilia couldn't pull her arms from the wall. “Magic is an interesting thing when you're able to localize it. I'm glad I took extra lessons from Aqua.”

She stared up at the indigo smoke swirling on her wrists. “A Bind spell-” Terra's mouth was back under her chin, nipping and licking her skin painfully slow, creating a saliva trail all the way down to her breasts. His hand was back under her thigh, hoisting it up after feeling it lower earlier, and squeezed her behind. Fusilia's eyes shot open as she tried to hold back a moan but couldn't keep it in for long when Terra's hips bucked forward into hers. His free hand crept up her back and tangled itself in her hair again, holding the base of her ponytail so he could maneuver her head how he pleased. The one on her behind squeezed harder until she moaned into his mouth. All the sensations at once hit Fusilia hard and kept her on her toes, leaving her guessing what he would do next just as he switched from one lust-induced tug on her hair to raking his teeth on her lower lip and pushing his crotch against hers again and again. Seven months of arguing back and forth, of sparring going a little too far, of flipping each other off and insulting one another... Seven months of compressed tension was let loose.

Fusilia squirmed until he backed off and let her catch her breath. “Terra...”

“Hmmm?”

She looked him in the eye, the hazel hardening into a glare. “...You're an asshole.”

He blinked twice at her comeback. The room went silent. Then after a few minutes ticked by, his lips hovered over hers, refusing to connect them even when her eyes narrowed and she pushed her body as far forward. as he allowed, just enough to get a sound out of him.

“My room. Now.”


	6. Admission

The first time Fusilia sensed a dark aura, she didn't know what to make of it. She was nine years old, at the park with her friends during recess. It was a time before her Keyblade wielding days, where her childhood innocence was still entwined with the fibers of her heart and she knew nothing of emotional corruption. A new student joined the class and while all the other students were kind in their greeting, Fusilia immediately displayed her heavy dislike for the girl. She couldn't explain why she hated the new classmate; she just did. That resulted in the redhead doing everything in her limited power to try and get rid of her. The teachers couldn't believe the fights she started, knowing she was normally an obedient, straight A class leader. It happened again and again as she grew up, unable to make others understand what she felt. When she became an apprentice under Master Jenova, the Master thought nothing of her demeanor, assuming the girl was merely misguided and required extra attention. She, too, was baffled with Fusilia's sudden outbursts against random people, and she was reprimanded every time. When asked why Fusilia could only say they were made of darkness, which made no sense to the regular citizens in town. The aging master kept a closer eye on the redhead and observed her behaviors around specific people, noting the way the girl kept as far away from them as possible...as if she was frightened. Over the years Master Jenova watched from afar, and was close to figuring out what was going on shortly before falling horribly ill. She voiced her concerns to Master Eraqus when Fusilia joined his pupils and warned the man to take note of anything strange she said or did.

And now there she was, following after Terra, hands interlaced, to do god knows what in his room. The swirl of emotions in the pit of her gut slammed against her organs, twisting her diaphragm in doubt and sending nervous vibes through her limbs. She had an inkling of what he wanted to do, of what she felt physically, but couldn't wrap her head around _why_ she found herself attracted to the very thing she'd spent so long trying to stay away from. _This is crazy._ He was different from all the other cases. Unlike the others she deemed lowlifes, he actually fought back, decided to not take her crap anymore, and... And she liked it. _Ugh._ No, like was an understatement. Every time their Keyblades clashed a surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins. It pumped fire into every muscle in her body, made her mouth water, left her hands clammy, turned her clear-cut thoughts and plans into mush. Every time Terra argued back or boxed her into a corner with nothing more than his body, she was forced to stare at that ridiculously paper-thin excuse of a garment he called a shirt that she just wanted to rip off of him to stop it from mocking her. And he had the audacity to complain about her outfit. But with her hand in his, allowing him to bring her into _his_ territory, she couldn't get any words past her throat. Fusilia's fire was quenched by nothing more than his presence. The dark, menacing aura she felt flowing off of him dissipated under his molten touch, threatening to burn her from the inside out. It left hot, boiling knots in her chest and gut. Her cheeks flushed as red as her hair when they made it to their floor. This was moving so fast. Her heart raced, thumping painfully hard against her ribs when they entered Terra's room. Standing frozen in the middle of the floor Fusilia came to when she heard a click and turned around, finding the door knob locked. Terra rested his back on the door and stared at her with his arms crossed, a blank expression on his face. _How the fuck is he keeping his cool?_ Sure, she had her fair share of physical partners, but they lacked whatever invisible force Terra had that hypnotized her. Maybe it was the way he put his foot down and vowed to not let her step all over him anymore. The two Keyblade wielders always sparred like they were caught in a fight to the death, and though they constantly griped about their hatred for the other, neither party would back down. Maybe he craved the same thrill. Or maybe he enjoyed getting a rise out of her.

 _Maybe he's screwing with me...in one sense-_ Fuck, she was remembering that dream again. She locked eyes with Terra and immediately felt his hands ghosting over her breasts, his mouth suctioned to her neck and biting her skin until she moaned, his knee spreading her legs apart while one hand snaked down her form and beneath her underwear-- _Oh god._ What if the dream hadn't ended there? Would he have stripped her naked right there and had his way with her? Would he have taken things slow, made her feel euphoria spike in every nerve? Why the hell was she even curious about this? Fusilia bit her lower lip. Her foot tapped impatiently on the floor, waiting for Terra to do or say something, _anything_. But he just stood there and watched her, like he was waiting for her to make the first move as she had in the previous instances. Fusilia gulped hard and shook the jitters out. "Terra..."

"How far do you want to take this?" His question stunned her. She raised a brow, not understanding what he meant. A heavy sigh left his lips when he noted her confusion. His eyes fell shut and a smirk crept on his face for a tiny moment, just long enough for Fusilia to notice, then he turned serious again as he met the gaze she kept on him. "I'm not gonna mince words. We've been doing this little dance for months now, Fusilia." The way he said her name sent chills down her spine. "I wasn't lying when I said you piss me off... But I hate to admit your attitude... It..."

Her internal debate settled when his sentence cut short. "It what?" Terra averted his gaze when she pressed on and took a step toward him, and her annoyance grew when he still did nothing. Fusilia scoffed and pinched between her brows. "If you've got something to say, untwist your panties and just come out with it!" The raise in volume of her voice seemed to be all he needed to snap out of his embarrassment. Terra hopped one step forward and grabbed Fusilia's wrists, jerking her closer to him. He spun and pressed her back against the door, and laid his hands flat on either side of her head to trap her. Her sharp tongue fell silent as he leaned closer to her, breath hot on her skin when his lips grazed hers with the lightest touch.

"It infuriates me, the way you talk down to me like I'm garbage. You have a horrible attitude, you're reckless, always up my ass, flaunting YOURS in my face-" His voice stayed the same volume despite his vexation. The closer his face got, the further away Fusilia tried to move hers with the little bit of space he allowed her, but she couldn't stop him from locking their lips together. The kiss was greedy like before, though this one had something different. It was much softer. He didn't force his tongue into her mouth to wrestle for control, merely swiped it across her lip to entice her. His hands lifted off the door and found new places to settle: his right combing into her hair, the left caressing her waist, fingers kneading her abdomen until he felt her shiver. Fusilia balanced on her toes when she reached for his shoulders, her touch gentle compared to her clawing into him earlier. She found herself actually enjoying the contact, and just as her tongue crept from her mouth into his, Terra separated from her. She stared at him, a dazed gleam in her eyes. Terra liked that look. "All that crap you do gets under my skin and I can't get enough of it. Every time you open your mouth and start ranting I want to kiss you so hard that you'll shut up. I have to pin you to the wall because you don't know how to stop waving your behind around like bait. Do you know how difficult it is for me to keep my composure when we're sparring?" He let out a sarcastic laugh. "Hell, you rubbed your boobs on me during dinner the other night! It's like you're begging for me to fuck you against the wall." His wording deepened the blush already spread across her face. She hadn't expected this level of intensity in his admission. "You're such a tease and it's driving me nuts. I literally cannot focus because of you. Which is why I have to know..." Terra laid his forehead on hers, watching how her lips tried resuming their kiss, and planted his hands on either side of her again. "...How far are we taking this?"

She hadn't thought about it: how this whole dance effected him, AND ever pursuing anything past those heated moments they shared. Why would she? "It's never crossed my mind. It's not like I ever expected..." Fusilia waved her arms around, unsure of how else to express her feelings. "...Whatever this is." Her hands eventually settled on his forearms, body relaxed, hands rubbing up the muscles until her fingers tread onto the stretchy fabric of his shirt. The look in his eyes was so calm, so different from their previous encounters. But he still held onto that tiny flicker of tenacity; he only toned down the aggressive nature slightly, replacing it with a tender touch she wasn't used to. It was so bewildering. "How far do _you_ want this to go?"

"I asked you first," he replied in a gentle, yet adamant tone. Her brows drew in and she stared hard into his eyes, suddenly forgetting about the lack of space between their bodies and how his hand was still kneading her waist, causing tremors to vibrate through her. His fingers stopped, wanting to observe how the redhead regained her composure, then continued tickling her skin with light touches. The shivers returned and her eyes momentarily squeezed shut as she sucked in a sharp breath. "For one, I'd like to see more of that. It's refreshing to know your hotheaded antics could end with something as simple as a touch." It was his turn to tease her as he straightened his body to his full height, head tucked down and lips just far enough out of her reach. A grunt rattled in her throat at his obvious taunting, and after a few seconds passed, Terra grazed against hers with a feathery kiss, ending her torture. He smirked when Fusilia's eyes fluttered open, more so at her attempt to get a reaction out of him when one hand drifted to his chest, grousing when he didn't flinch. She hated showing weakness - he knew that - but her flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips told him otherwise. She wanted someone stronger, someone capable of overpowering her, that much was evident. She craved a battle against warrior who could stand toe to toe with her and provide a challenge by pushing her to her limit. For the time being, he decided to let her figure out what she wanted. "I'll follow your pace; if anything, you decide how fast or slow things move." There was a hint of sincerity in his gaze when he voiced his promise. Overpower her when necessary, but let her control the tempo. Anything to get those hot, salacious thoughts out of his head.

Her lips drew into a pout and her eyes focused to the side, seeming to consider his offer. _This is a stupid idea. Just take a cold shower and forget all those invasive thoughts._ Yet when she tried to pretend they never flowed through her mind, she had no control over whatever thoughts survived and took over her dreams; the other night proved it. Maybe it was crazy... But maybe it would help get these raw desires out of her system. Stay a little while, keep things simple, then jump into an icy bath. Seemed like a feasible plan, and she didn't see any other solutions. "I guess..." The risks and benefits were nearly even, though that little glimmer of hope that whatever they were about to do would rid her of those unwanted desires tipped the scales just enough for her to agree. "But before we start doing...whatever we're about to do, I need a towel. I feel all sticky from my workout." Terra nodded and backed off to allow her to leave. "I'll be right back." He didn't protest when she unlocked the door and stepped out of the room, realizing once she was gone that he needed a minute to collect himself. Terra moved to his bed and sat down, running his hands through his hair as he hunched over. In reality he had no idea how far he'd planned to go; he actually expected her to say no, or 'go fuck yourself' or something in between. But he wasn't going to bring it up and make her reconsider the decision, not when this meant he'd be able to focus on his training instead of thinking about the girl sashaying past him with a teasing air to her step. This was actually going to happen. Whatever transpired between himself and Fusilia was real, whether they made out, tore each other's clothes off, or anything beyond that point. And it was as his thoughts sped a million miles a second that he had two revelations. One: he was so mentally how unprepared for this. She turned him on, he didn't deny that, but everything he told her about putting her in her place and making her beg for the end was a bluff. He talked big when she was pissing him off; now that he'd quieted the little demon inside her, Terra realized he had no actual plan to follow. And then there was number two. His color paled and his eyes went wide.

 _Crap._ Terra leaped off the mattress and ran to his dresser. He yanking each drawer open until they rattled and rummaged through the contents of each one. Shirts, socks, undergarments... Whatever he was looking for wasn't there. _Where is it???_ His movements became frantic as he resumed checking each drawer, tearing them open one by one and digging through the various items piled inside. His racing heart calmed when he spotted the subject of his search in the top left drawer, buried under some accessories. A relieved huff escaped him. Oh man. If he didn't have any-

"Terra?" In a panic Terra shoved the drawer shut and smashed his fingers in the furniture. He hissed as he pulled them back and saw them already turning red. _IDIOT!_ He shook his hand out, hoping the pain would subside as soon as possible. Curses were murmured under his breath when the warrior turned around and saw Fusilia. She stood motionless in the doorway and stared at him; he was pretty sure she'd seen the whole thing. "You okay? You look like you hurt yourself."

He forced a toothy grin onto his face and bit back the sliver of pain still pulsing in his hand. "I'm good. Just a little pinch." In his hysteria Terra hadn't noticed the change in Fusilia's attire. Her workout tights and sports bra were gone, replaced with a tank top and shorts that barely covered her thighs, socks and sneakers swapped for slippers. A towel was draped around her neck, hanging over her chest and tucked under crossed arms. She wasn't buying it. He expected as much. "You changed your clothes," he noted.

"Yeah. I was starting to feel kinda gross in my sweaty gym gear. Had to run and throw them straight into the washer." She picked up on his faint surprise. "What, is something wrong?"

"No, no, everything's fine." Terra forgot about the agony in his fingers and slowly approached her, unsure of where to begin. Usually the girls he had relations with were the ones pouncing on him, knocking him backwards onto a couch or mattress and tearing his clothes off like savages. That wasn't Fusilia. She observed his face and took in every tiny detail, still sensing a mysterious tension radiating from him, as if a small part of her was questioning this decision. "Uhh-" Terra cleared his throat- "Why don't we sit down?" He gestured a hand to his bed on the opposite side of the room.

She realized she'd never actually been inside Terra's bedroom. It was a lot bigger on the inside than it appeared from the other side of the door. His bed - large, probably queen sized - rested against the middle of the farthest wall, the sheets made up right before he left for his mission. A dresser on the right next to a closet, a bedside table, an area rug... A typical bedroom for a young adult, though it lacked the flashy decorations and figures that Ven had. Not that she really cared; he could decorate however he wanted. She followed him to the edge of the mattress and paused when he sat down. "I'm still kind of sweaty. I don't want to ruin your sheets..." Their gazes locked, Fusilia forgot all about her poor attempt to get out of this (but she really didn't want to leave), and felt herself give in. She took a cautious step closer to the bed frame, then another, and lowered to an empty spot on his left. Sweat dripped from her brow and into her eyes. She grit her teeth and dabbed her face with the towel until the light burn was gone, then moved it under her chin to wipe, and then she froze. Terra's hand was on top of hers; it nearly dwarfed hers and made her look like a child. Shocked, her hand inched down to her side and let him claim the towel to continue where she left off. Each pass was kept slow, not wanting to startle her more than she already was. She watched him carefully. His hand wiped down the side of her neck, halting when he noticed the redhead shudder with a hard swallow, and waited for her to relax before moving further down. The room was too quiet for Fusilia, who wished Terra would talk about something to take her mind off this strangely sensual action. Her neck was dried, then her right arm, followed by her left. His hand stopped at the base of her throat, above the start of her cleavage. He didn't move, worrying Fusilia as the seconds ticked by. When her eyes darted onto him he looked away with a hint of embarrassment. It took a moment for her to realize he was waiting for her consent. _Okay... That was weird._ She breathed in and nodded for him to resume where he needed to. Hazel eyes closed when Terra began to rub at a snail's pace, the towel moving side to side to get rid of the sweat, and she was thankful for him being gentle, more so for him not trying any underhanded tricks to grope her. If she were forced to admit it out loud, Fusilia wouldn't be able to deny how nice the contact felt. She couldn't find the right words to describe it in her head; she just enjoyed it, heart calmed to a steady pace when he met the hem of her tank top above her breasts and didn't venture any further. Maybe he wasn't a jerk after all.

Then his hand crawled down, past the bottom of her rolled-up shirt to her stomach, and she gasped immediately when the towel fibers swiped across her skin. Her breath hitched with every circle he cleaned, tingles spreading all over when the towel dragged around her body. The towel grazed her spine and her body jerked forward. Her eyes squeezed tight and she barely noticed Terra's arm catching her before she fell off the mattress. He looked ready to apologize - for what, he had no idea - and before his lips parted Fusilia let out the oxygen caught in her throat, then gave a reassuring nod for him to continue. Terra hesitated for a second, waiting for her to change her mind, then ran the towel from the middle of her back across to the other side. His fingers hooked around her abdomen as they had when he admitted his deep physical desires to her. He swiped up and down until the sheen on her skin was gone. They'd switched places from that night in the dining hall: he was the one reaching over her, closing her in with his body and limbs, and Fusilia was using all her willpower to not shrink away from him. Then as soon as it'd started he was done. Terra rested the towel on his lap, his fingers playing with the fibers as he awaited her next move. His constant pauses aggravated her. _Why am I always the one who has to start?_ "...Thanks. That was...nice."

"You're welcome." The conversation came and went in the blink of an eye.

"Now what?" A lump formed in Terra's chest. That was the million dollar question. His fingers drummed on the mattress while going through their options. Should he just go for it and see how she reacted? Deep in thought he wasn't prepared for a sudden tightening sensation to surge through his back, pulsing stronger by his shoulder blades. Terra hugged himself and hissed. Damn that turbulence on his return trip from the other world; he knew it'd come back to haunt him, but he still hated the way his muscles spasmed and ached. This was the worst time for that to happen. Despite his muscles knotting into themselves he acknowledged Fusilia when she rested a hand on his thigh. A sigh left her. "Idiot." He had no say in the redhead easing him down to lay on the bed. He turned and laid on his stomach at the guidance of her hands, crawling up the bed so his legs weren't hanging off, half aware of her moving next to him on her knees. "I told you that stretch wasn't a good idea," Fusilia scolded him. His hands tucked under his chin. "Whatever happened during your mission wore you down too much. You should've slept it off instead of risking pulling a muscle." She was starting to sound like Aqua, but he didn't care, not when he felt her hands glide across his back, her touch lightening whenever he flinched from the cramps. She sucked her teeth. "I'll take care of it." The mattress creaked as Terra noted a shift of weight on the bed, the redhead's hands digging into the quilt on both sides of him, then pressure settling on his lower back... _What?_ Terra glanced over his shoulder as far as he could to find out what she was doing. She stared back, hands hovering over his torso...legs straddling his hips with a small squeeze. He gulped, not knowing what to make of the sight, and she averted her gaze when she felt his eyes on her. "Stop staring. It's already awkward enough." He looked away and she let out a huff. "I'm going to loosen the knots in your back. Direct me on where to move and how much pressure is comfortable for you. Got it?" He hummed in understanding. "Now stay still..." Terra winced and bared his teeth the second her fingers found the first knots. Fusilia always had a knack for finding the rights spots or words to hurt him. Her hands lifted off his back until he calmed, then pat down to test his pain scale. He seemed to contain the extent of the agony so she could begin to loosen him up. First her thumbs pressed into the first cramps she found. They twisted in small circles, similar to how he toweled her down, and were joined by the rest of her fingers once she felt he could handle it. The pain began to subside as the circles widened, loosening the muscle from the center and the edges of the knots. There was a slight tingle radiating from her fingertips. Was she using magic to help alleviate the pain? Whatever she was doing began to work, he noted, when the cramps started to untwist and relax. Her palms laid flat on his shoulder blades as she widened the area of cool, soothing magic. His eyes closed, Terra studied the way her hands manipulated his inner fibers in conjunction with the magic - which he concluded was a combination of curing and blizzard magic. Any tightness and discomfort that remained vanished when the blizzard magic ceased and was replaced with a gentle remedying warmth. His brows raised, amazed at how well she could control the temperature and flow of magic seeping out of her palms. He had to give her credit; despite how stubborn she was, Fusilia was considerably on par with Aqua when it came to magic control.

He lost track of time under her soothing touch. He could fall asleep with how relaxed he'd become. Terra exhaled with a low hum, enjoying every additional second Fusilia tended to him. "You're pretty good at this," he whispered as her hands trailed down his back. "Where'd you learn to combine magic like that?"

Thank god he said something. "Master Jenova taught me. Her training regiment was different from a lot of the other masters' methods. It was mostly based on survival, and focused heavily on concentration when your fight-or-flight instincts kicked in." Wow, they were having an actual conversation instead of yelling at each other. Master Eraqus would've been blown away at their progress...though their methods of getting along were taking a strange turn. This was a lot more sensual than what either party initially expected, but neither one of them would admit the truth. Five minutes later Fusilia's hands left his back. "You should be fine now." She sat up on her knees and lifted off the bed just enough to allow Terra to turn over and roll forward. He rolled out his shoulders one at a time, then stretched each arm across his chest, relieved to no longer be in pain.

"Whatever secret Master Jenova taught you is something else," he commented. "You should teach me it sometime." The smile on his face was genuine, thankful that the cramps were long gone, and he leaned forward to thank Fusilia for helping him. But his words caught in his throat when he realized she was still sitting on him, straddling him while on his lap... Fusilia caught on immediately and looked away from him with a slight scowl, drawing her hands inward. She wanted to get off of him and retreat to the edge of the bed but couldn't find any strength in her legs. The clock on the wall ticked, each flick of the second hand growing louder and louder as time seemed to grind to a halt.

She swallowed the lump that had formed and inhibited her breathing. "...Now what?" She hated being so clueless. It made her feel vulnerable, the feeling worse when in front of Terra; she couldn't identify what level of embarrassment she'd reached once she stayed sitting on his lap. Terra's hands inched onto her knees and up her thighs, crawling ever so slowly to her hips. The heat returned to her cheeks. She was really starting to hate the realization that she was attracted to the hard-headed, muscle-flaunting tree whose shirt was pissing her off the longer she stared at it. Clothing wasn't meant to accentuate one's body _that_ much; it was borderline lingerie-- _FUCK._ Her eyes shut as she acknowledged the steadily growing heat and color rising to her face. She couldn't think about anything: not Terra's shirt, not her body straddling him, not her legs wrapping around him, not his burning hands creeping toward her face- And then they were cupping her cheeks, keeping her attention on the man in front of her, unable to decipher his expression. Her hazel gaze narrowed and focused on his lips. His lips haunted her dreams the most with the way they could shift between placing tender pecks on her neck, and latching onto her neck to suck on her like a leech. She curled her own in and chewed on them. Fusilia sighed, exasperated. "God dammit..." Fusilia leaned toward him and held onto his shoulders to pull him in for a kiss. How the hell was she allowing him to get into her head so bad? Scratch that- how the hell was she unable to control herself when everything about this guy was so intoxicating?

Terra was taken aback by her sudden action. Her kiss was unsure yet spontaneous; she didn't know what the hell she was doing. That was a relief to him, though with the way her hands were waving around as if she couldn't decide what to do with them or where to lay them, he could tell he had to take the lead. She _needed_ his guidance, and he was more than willing to help her - whatever worked to get rid of these damned lewd thoughts.

* * *

"Yeah, they're alone. Just the kid and his mommy. It looks like they're having a lot of fun." The voice paused to listen to a second on the other end of the line. The first chuckled. "That's what I thought. They never split up like this. But I should point out that he's been acting pretty strange the last few days." More talking from the second voice, though the first let out a sudden, louder chortle by the speaker, and hovered a hand over his mouth. "Sorry. You just missed the kid sneezing out all his cotton candy. It almost hit Miss Magic. He looks ridiculous." He sighed. "Ah, if only you could see what I'm seeing. Want me to send you a picture?" One eye fell closed at the unexpected volume of the refusal. "Fine, I'll quit lollygagging. Be ready to see this all over the news just in case it hits route beta. You got your script ready?" He laughed a third time, his crossed legs switching places as they hung off the roof. A stray balloon floated up beside him. Without even looking at it he thrusted his hand out and squeezed the rubber decoration in a swift pop, then tossed the string away. "Yes, yes, everything will run smoothly. I'm just gonna have some fun with this." Another protest forced him to roll his eyes. "YES, I get it! I'll only fuck with them for a little bit; I'll get the radar, too. Why the sudden concern? I thought you trusted me." A brief moment of silence. "And I wanna hear all about your little conference when you come back. How much longer do you have, a week?" Confirmation. "Mmm, thought so. Welp, I'm off to stir the pot. Gotta add a little seasoning first. Catch ya later."

The cellphone was tucked away in a hidden pocked under his waist cape. He tapped his chin with a gloved hand, deep in thought. "Now what's this little recipe call for?" Watching the sky, ideas began surfacing. "We'll start with a spoonful of garlic..." A tiny, dark portal swirled into existence at his right. "Then we've got some cayenne pepper for spice-" A second black hole popped out of nowhere. "Let's add some salt, a dash of pepper... And of course, it's not a feast without enough meat to go around." Streaks of black darted back and forth as they tore their way out of the abysses all around him. Some twitched, others bounced, the big ones rolled, as he pushed himself up to stand. A quick stretch of his arms above his head, then he laid a foot on the ledge of the roof, and rested his arm across, leaning forward in anticipation. "I. Am. A. Genius. Ooh, this is SOO going in the cookbook." The monsters surrounding him wiggled with impatience. "No, no. You can't add the seasoning too soon. Gotta wait a bit." The larger monsters in the back and those hovering beside him complied immediately, but the small ones directly at his sides were still anxious to leap into the festival and spread calamity. They fell in line with the others when yellow eyes stabbed into their minds, and their squeaking ceased. "That's more like it. And now, we wait for the main ingredients to fall into the pot." He couldn't help laughing again, this time carrying a slight maniacal chill while he held his head in his propped up hand. "I'll make sure they get limited edition autographed copies of 'Vanitas' Dangerously Delicious Treats', AND a personal picture to take home and show the others. Can't let the radar and Terra have _too_ much fun in the sheets... Not yet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas is a big jerk and I'm going to exploit it as much as possible.


	7. More

"Reports have poured in from our agents stationed in seventeen worlds across the cosmos, and every single one details the sudden surge in new Unversed species popping up. The number of Unversed has increased nearly ten-fold within the past year alone. They're multiplying at an alarming rate, larger groups targeting heavily populated worlds - some of which lack the defenses necessary to keep them at bay. We must track down the source and put an end to this senseless chaos." The Council of Keyblade Masters had gathered for a conference to discuss the increase in violence and darkness throughout the universe. Masters of all ages and creeds framed the long table in the room of gray walls, the only light pouring in through the wall of windows parallel to the door. All focused on the woman at the head of the table, their hands clasped, then to the center of the table when the woman gestured to a hologram displaying various types of Unversed, all bearing eyes the color of blood. The gathering of warriors were in only the first day of their week-long conference, and already tension lingered in the air and weighed down on them. "If we're all in agreement, I move to have all Keyblade apprentices and newly-ranked Masters to venture to said worlds so they may divide and conquer before-"

Hands banged on the table. "That's madness!" one man on the right side of the table shouted as he shot up from his seat. "The apprentices are too inexperienced to be tossed into war! Just look at what happened to Constantina! Their king wouldn't hear of their lack of battlefield knowledge. His ignorance cost his world everything! Or are the thousands of Keyblades stuck in the ground not enough of a reminder?" His eyes narrowed and looked to everyone around him. "Surely you wouldn't want your students to meet the same fate? The same goes for the new Masters. Though recognized as worthy of the title, they, too, don't possess the years of wisdom we have. You know that first-hand, Pyrite. I stand against a motion that would have young warriors being shipped out to their deaths." A hand lay on the man's forearm. He turned to look at Eraqus sitting beside him, urging him with his gaze to calm down. The man eventually sucked in a deep breath and returned to his seat. "My point is, we shouldn't send children out to fight our wars." Murmurs took over the room as the Masters exchanged words and glances, only halted by a clearing of the throat.

All eyes fell on the woman approaching the head of the table. Pyrie, the main speaker, moved to the side to allow the woman space to park her wheelchair. Despite her pale and sickly appearance, Master Jenova kept a stoic air about her as she prepared to address the council. "Fellow Masters," Jenova began, "Astrum makes a good point in his concern for our apprentices. He's right: they're not ready to bear the burden of fighting our battles. Even with all their training, the last thing we want is for harm to come to our students." Her words paused momentarily. "But one day they will be in our shoes, instructing their own pupils, passing down our knowledge to them. What will they pass on to the future Key-bearers? What will they teach the next generation when it comes to protecting the cosmos? I've kept this ideology in mind since becoming a Master myself, which inspired the training methods I used and many of you deemed dangerous or unconventional. Put yourselves in their shoes for a moment. They don't want war; none of us do... But the day will come when they have no other choice but to fight - for their own safety, as well as the safety of whatever world becomes their post." She paused again, a harsh cough leaving her mouth instead. "Take this time to consider their futures, the futures of all our descendants. Master Pyrite's motion is for the best."

"Jenova is right." Attention shifted to Eraqus when he stood up and left his seat, sauntering to Jenova's side. "Our job is to maintain balance and protect world orders throughout the cosmos. Order demands that we Keyblade warriors dedicate our lives to keep everything as it should be... And sometimes, maintaining order requires making sacrifices, be they time or innocence. I want nothing more than our pupils to succeed and take advantage of their full potential. However, the current state of the worlds has forced us to send out warriors before they're ready to take on such a responsibility. My pupil Terra proved himself capable when he assisted you in your mission, Astrum." Eraqus looked across the table to another Master. "Clarice. How many times has Aqua provided you and your students emergency aid? There's a reason she'll be taking her Mark of Mastery exam soon. And though he's still young, Ventus showed potential when I felt he was ready for his first mission in another world." His eyes landed on Jenova, whose faint smile spoke for her thanks in his support. "Fusilia is quite the student, Jenova. She's feisty and arrogant at times, but you've trained her to be a great warrior. If she and Terra continue to work hard, they'll also be up for the exam." His words made her smile grow, and she laid a hand over her heart in gratitude. The murmurs in the room had quieted down significantly. "I'm in agreement with Masters Jenova and Pyrite. Though they're not prepared for such a battle at this very moment, our apprentices are fast learners. We need every available warrior to maintain balance in the cosmos. They'll catch up in due time."

"We will now take a vote on this plan," Pyrite continued. "All in favor of carrying out the motion, please raise your hand and say 'I'." Voices all across the room vowed their support and raised their hands. Pyrite counted the hands, her own included. "That makes twelve. All against?" Seven more 'I's and raised hands. Gray eyes landed on the one man who'd remained quiet the entire discussion. "Master Xehanort?" He met her gaze, gray hitting gold, observing the man who seemed caught in contemplation.

Xehanort cleared his throat as his hands knitted together atop the table. "The times are changing, my comrades. With each passing day the worlds, the enemies - everything changes. I fear at this rate, our battle will become more than a simple war between monsters and mankind. We've taught our apprentices all that we can, and from here, we can only hope they succeed in their venture to maintain balance. This is the harsh reality we Masters - and soon our pupils - are destined to face." His eyes fell closed and he gave a single nod. "I stand with Jenova." The woman in question nodded her head to him in thanks.

"Thirteen in favor, seven opposed," Pyrite concluded. "The motion carries." The hologram at the table's center turned off and the lights on the ceiling illuminated.

"And what if the students are unable to hold their own against the Unversed?" Astrum inquired with a tilt of his head.

Xehanort stared at Astrum from across the table. "I hope it never comes to that, Astrum. But should that happen, we can only hope they survive to see another day."

* * *

Terra's hands smoothed across Fusilia's back and rubbed circles, her tank top twisting between his fingers. Hers inched across his shoulders inward, then settled on his chest, and her fingers curled in to grab the stretchy fabric of his shirt. She tilted her head to change the angle of the kiss, a small moan escaping her when she felt his tongue slither into her mouth. She was getting better at this...or at least she hoped she was, considering she had no idea what she was doing when it came to Terra. Yes, she knew how to kiss and caress. Yes, she had a sense of what to do and how to do it. But picturing herself doing that with Terra, like she currently was? The fact alone that she'd dreamed of him seducing her was already too much for her to handle is she thought about it for too long. There was just something about him that quickly became addicting, that she couldn't get enough of. Was it his well-toned body, the way his arms wrapped around her with little effort? Perhaps. Was it the way he tasted with each kiss, or the way he teased her? It was a possibility. Or could it be that she'd never before done something so intimate with another Key bearer, especially one with the same fire in his eyes and defiant spark he had? She had no idea. But figuring that out would have to wait. She couldn't concentrate on the what-ifs with the way his lips guided hers, how one of his hands made its way south and cupped her incredibly distracting behind, while the other fisted itself in her hair and plucked out the scrunchie keeping it in a ponytail. And if none of those were enough to sidetrack her mind, there was that quick, little buck of his hips, just enough to shift her lower half closer to his as the hand on her behind groped her. She let out a squeak, or a moan - neither one knew exactly what kind of sound she made. All Terra knew was that he wanted to hear it again, especially when Fusilia's raking hands shot around his neck and back, and her fingers dug in.

So they were making out. Okay, that was a good start. Nothing moving too fast or becoming awkward, even when her hands pulled him closer and her breasts squished against his chest. That night at dinner played in Terra's head again. She had to have done that intentionally, no matter what kind of mask she hid her true intentions behind; there's no way Fusilia turning her body at exactly the right angle, applying exactly the right amount of pressure when her body grazed his, dragging it out and halting time, was a fluke. She was too smart for that. But she'd never admit it; she was too proud... Too prudish, if he had to describe it. His train of thought broke when he felt her pull her lips away. Terra cracked his eyes open and met her gaze, tucking a stray red hair behind her ear and combing through her locks. "Yes?" he whispered.

She opened her mouth to reply but no words came out. Her cheeks were flushed in that rosy shade like before, the hue getting heavier the longer he stared at her. "...What are you waiting for?" His eyebrows raised with a hum, telling her he had no idea what she was talking about. "I thought..." Oh god, why was this so embarrassing? Just the sight of him so closed left her tongue-tied. While she dealt with her internal conflict Terra's eyes closed and he let out a huff. _Here we go again._

"Are _you_ waiting for something?" he inquired when she wouldn't elaborate. "Something in particular?" He played with her bra straps as he waited for an answer. The room grew hotter, but they both knew why this time. It wasn't as big a space as the kitchen, and was dwarfed by the training hall, and the close proximity of their entangled bodies only doubled the temperature around them.

"Well..." she finally spoke up, doing her best to ignore the feathery touches of his fingers on her shoulder, "I thought... With the way you sounded in the training hall..." Oh god, she couldn't even get a full sentence out. She was making a fool of herself. Her, a confident, focused, loud-mouthed Keyblade wielder, had been reduced to a babbling pile of heat with guts twisted in knots and tightness swirling in her gut. It'd been a long time since she felt anything remotely close to this. "You just made it sound like you wanted..." _Dammit. Say it already. Speak in full sentences!_ "What does this make us?"

There was a curveball he didn't anticipate. Terra let go of her shoulder and rested both hands on her hips, lips pouted in thought. He never thought in a million years he'd ever refer to Fusilia as anything more than a thorny branch up his ass he couldn't get rid of. And now, as she straddled his lap and played with the hem of his shirt? They really weren't friends on any level. Any title to whatever they dubbed their 'relationship' was nonexistent up until a few days ago. "Good question," he replied. "Got any suggestions?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, we're not really friends-" _Way to cut deep._ -"I guess...something more than that? Not really sure." _More than friends? Is that what you want to be?_ Fusilia was losing her focus. She shook the thought from her mind.

"Let's just figure that out later," he told her, and sucked her back into another kiss before her thoughts got off track again. She fell into the kiss almost immediately, her hands returning to their movement up and down his back, venturing higher and lower with each pass. Her fingers ghosted the hem of his hakama as they bunched up his shirt little by little. He shuddered when the fabric slipped free from under his belt and left his skin exposed. One touch was all it took for him to utter a hiss into her mouth, his hands tightening on her hips before they rushed down again and groped her until she uttered that sound again. Her eyes shot open and she backed off again to stare at him. "Were you waiting for more of that?" The red rushed back to her cheeks. Her brows furrowed. She flicked her fingers across his lower back again, this time dragging her nails lightly as she did so. A second hiss escaped him and his body jerked under her, his lower half pushing against hers, causing her to let out a sharp gasp. "It seems someone's trying to toy with me."

" _Trying_? Wow. Thanks for the recognition." There was a hint of her attitude resurfacing. "If anyone was trying anything, it'd be you attempting to cast a Firaga that's more than a little candle flame."

His body twitched under hers. The knots in his gut sank lower. There she went with the high-and-mighty shit again...though this time, the venom in her voice was replaced by a sultry tone Terra didn't know Fusilia had in her. "For a moment, that sounded like a challenge."

"Did I stutter?"

That did it. Paired with the hardened, focused glaze in her hazel eyes, Terra was at his breaking point. Without hesitation he lifted her off the bed and turned her over before setting her down again. Both hands caged her head in, holding her wrists, his legs between hers, left the woman silent. "Careful what you ask," Terra said, closing the distance between their lips until his barely grazed hers. "Now what was it you asked me before? 'What are you waiting for?' He released her wrists just long enough to pull off his shirt, still bunched up by her doing, and tossed it aside. The blush took over every inch of her face as he hovered above her topless, unable to do more than lick her lips and stare at him. "Cat got your tongue?" Fusilia sucked her teeth and averted her gaze, her eyes narrowing when Terra chuckled. "Maybe I was waiting for you to try something before I made any sort of move." He still wouldn't connect their lips, preferring to watch her squirm, holding her wrists down again when she tried reaching for his shoulders. "As for what I wanted..." A sly smirk spread on his face. "You're almost there." Again he let her go, only to slip his hands under her shirt. She froze on contact with a high-pitched gasp, mouth agape. Terra took advantage of the moment and dragged the fabric off her body, pushing it up so slow it felt like an eternity before his hands stopped on her breasts. He rounded them once and awaited her reaction, please to see her eyes squeeze shut and hands fisting in the quilt beneath her. She choked on her breath when he repeated the action a second time, moving slower to drag it out until she was fidgeting and biting down hard on her lip. The shirt was removed and thrown off the bed. Fusilia readied to sit up when his hands suddenly wrapped over hers like a net, suspending them above her head. A familiar cool sensation flowed out from his hands and around her wrists, and when he let go of her, she saw the indigo smoke swirling. "That's twice you let me get away with that. Tch tch tch. You're losing your edge, Fusilia. What happened to those quick reflexes?" She didn't have a chance to reply when he resumed their kiss, pressure and movement just as eager as hers was a moment ago, hands traveling up and down her body at an agonizingly slow pace.

Her breathing sped up. "T-t-tease..." she muttered between kisses. Her legs made their way around his waist but he promptly stopped them when he held her hips, only allowing her movement when he rounded her behind, sneaking a feel of her inner thigh for a split second. "I thought-" Sharp breath sucked in mid-kiss. -"...You-" A deeper kiss. -"Said my a-AAAAAA~" Like earlier he gave her hair a gentle yank to allow him access to her neck. He found the spots he'd kissed and sucked on earlier, and returned to the path, but he wouldn't hold back this time. Her toes curled in with each kiss he stretched out, sighs escaping her. There was no other party to worry about startling, no one else in the estate to hear them. Terra wanted to hear the full extent of the effect he had on the redhead. He rested one hand by her head to balance himself, and the other scooped up her leg and held him firm against himself, then began to rock his hips. "TERRA!" she practically yelled, eyes shooting open from the friction. Her shorts did little to provide any sort of shielding from the vigorous grinding; to her dismay, they heightened the sensation of their crotches rubbing together and the heat building between them. If the room had been hot before, now it was searing. She struggled against the spell restraining her, the need to claw into something - preferably his back - growing quickly. With each pass the obvious bulge under his hakama grazed the center seam of her shorts harder, and combined with his lips sucking red welts up and down her neck, Fusilia couldn't hold herself together. "Terra... Fuck!"

"If you insist," he teased. The grinding ceased and the hand on her leg rushed to the button and zipper of her shorts. The button undone, he nearly tore off the zipper when pulling it down, and he wriggled his hand between the denim and her underwear. It was happening. The dream was becoming more of a reality as the seconds ticked by, and as he inched closer to the elastic band of her underwear, her mind lost to the intensifying sensations flowing through every nerve. Was she still crying out from his relentless torture? Was he still kissing and sucking on her neck? What were his hands doing now? She didn't know; her head was in another place. The only things she could register were the ever rising temperature around her, the sweat starting to drip from her pores, and that steady grinding between her legs that hit all the right areas. Fusilia could barely think, succumbing to the man above her responsible for the lost train of thought. Maybe she'd been mistaken. Maybe that dark aura she sensed on him the day they met was less of an evil and more of a primal feeling. Maybe she'd been attracted to him from day one and just only figured it out. The weight of the aura? A metaphor for his true weight holding her down on the mattress and having his way with her, rendering her helpless...and she liked it. God, she craved it. If this is what just taunting him would get her, imagine what-

Pressure pushed hard on her throat. The relaxing, sensual sensations coursing through every nerve was cut off. A burning sensation took over - unlike the burning desire floating in the room, this one was nothing but agony frying her from the inside out, as if she'd just been electrocuted. Fusilia choked. She couldn't breathe; and if she did manage to suck in oxygen, its taste was bitter and raw like iron... Like blood. She opened her eyes. The room was a dark abyss and she was alone, now held down by shadowy figures that stared back with beading blood red eyes. Her movement constricted, she struggled as much as she could against the darkness, only ceasing when she heard a chuckle in the distance. "Terra?" Her voice was hoarse, the pressure still on her neck. A figure approached her, human in shape, and around it, dozens more pairs of those eyes of blood.

"Terra!"

Her chest was heaving. She shot up, sitting on her knees, a hand on her chest. Her heartbeat was erratic. Sweat dripped down her face as her frantic breaths continued. Her free hand was outstretched. held in the air parallel to the bed, in the direction of the door- Fusilia's eyes widened when she noticed Terra on the other side of the room, half-sitting and slumped against the door. His eyes were closed tight, hand rubbing the back of his head like he'd just been hit... It all dawned on her. "Terra!" she shouted, jumping off the bed. Her shorts were partially down her legs, the left side stuck higher than the right, her bra straps hanging off loose. Fusilia fixed her clothes while rushing across the room to Terra's side. "Are you okay?"

"Damn..." he groaned, "I didn't think I'd turn you on _that_ much. Didn't have to throw me off, though; you could've just said so." Throw him off? Fusilia raised an eyebrow as she helped him stand up, taking in the sight of the disheveled man. She'd been aware of him tearing his shirt off; when had he loosened his belt and started stripping her? The way his hair was tousled... That wasn't just from them making out. "You okay? You started sputtering some weird sentences all of a sudden, so I stopped. And then you hit me with an Aeroga spell."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" The choking pressure hit her again. Her words ceased and her attention was drawn to the window. Slowly she marched over to it and stared outside. not saying a word.

She was acting really weird. "Everything okay?" No reply. "Fusilia?" He took a cautious step toward her, then another when she didn't flinch. "Okay, you're really starting to freak me out."

"We have to go to town. Darkness is coming."


	8. Clash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAND we're back!

Ventus pouted when Aqua snatched the paper stick from his hand. “Aww, come on, Aqua!” the kid complained. “It was just a little sneeze!” But she wasn't having it, and despite the puppy eyes he displayed, he knew he'd be giving up soon. Aqua did warn him to take it easy on the sweets, and he _did_ completely ignore her warning, so he supposed it was kind of his own fault. "...Okay, I admit you were right. I shouldn't have scarfed down the entire bag of zeppoles before going on that spinning ride-" His words cut short when she gave him the infamous 'mom stare' that he desperately tried to avoid, focusing his gaze down on his swinging legs from his seat on the bench. But it pried through the invisible wall he attempted building between them, and crumbled when Aqua let out a long, exasperated sigh.

They'd been enjoying themselves that afternoon. Having arrived at the festival when it just opened for its first day, both Keyblade warriors were in a great mood and ready for some relaxation. The missions were piling up, and the gaps between them and training were precious, definitely not to be wasted. It was all the more reason for them to try and convince Fusilia to join them for the day, though they respected her decision to stay home and train on her own - so long as she promised to go back with them before the festival ended. Despite accepting her answer Aqua wished she'd gone with them; she could've used the help in wrangling Ven in whenever he spotted another food stand selling sugary treats. Not that she couldn't do it by herself, but she didn't want to spend her free time babysitting. It only got bad when the blond boy noticed a line of food trucks and vendors selling all kinds of food, and before she had the chance to stop him he'd bolted. Food was the one thing he couldn't resist when it came to fairs. He became impulsive and wanted to try everything. Good thing Aqua had both their wallets, otherwise they'd be broke before the sun set. And even with all the reckless eating, the hot sun blazing down on them, and even Ven nearly puking all over her, Aqua was enjoying herself a lot. It was nice to just focus on herself for once, even with Ven at her side. No worrying about fighting Unversed or maintaining world orders was a refreshing weight off their shoulders. And it was good to get out of the house instead of sitting around, doing nothing, while her charge played video games for hours. He needed the fresh air.

But something in the air didn't feel right. It wasn't Ven; she was one-hundred percent sure. She could handle his quirks with little issue. And it wasn't the smell of the festival food, or the gradually increasing humidity. Her hair frizzing wouldn't bother her. No, it was some weird, knotting feeling in her gut that couldn't be ignored. Looking around the area, she didn't get why she suddenly felt so uncomfortable, as if the weight of the world was thrown onto her shoulders. The people around her were walking about with glee, trying out the festival foods and aiming for the top prize in the games scattered down the avenue. Even Ven seemed none the wiser to whatever was troubling her, his attention laid on the line of people ready to test their strength when it was their turn to hit the bell with a large hammer. Perhaps her mind was exaggerating the tiny bit of stress Ven had given her when he sneezed out his cotton candy. It was a possibility, but still didn't make sense with the discomfort rising within her. Aqua shook the thoughts from her mind. She was being ridiculous; she was supposed to be having fun, and instead was letting work get in the way. Drawing in a long, deep breath, Aqua relaxed her shoulders and joined Ven on the line to hit the bell. Maybe she should give it a swing, too. It couldn't be that different from swinging a Keyblade, even with the different dispersement of weight on the large hammer.

The ground shook. Everything around her rattled, some fair-goers stumbling to the ground. Her eyes became frantic as she tried to locate the source of the shaking. They darted right, left, right again-

Another shake disrupted her thoughts. The buildings quaked, stucco and brick crumbling and falling onto the innocents below. Then a third, a fourth, as if something was purposely causing the tremors. Her breath caught in her throat. "Ven!" Instinct took over Aqua and launched her sideways, pulling Ventus into her arms, as glowing, spinning vortexes flew into the stand they stood in front of mere seconds before. People screamed and tried ducking out the way, though some unfortunate souls couldn't escape the collapsing bricks in time. The citizens ran amok, not sure which direction to go when more vortexes flew their way, slicing through whatever they collided with. The warriors hid behind a food cart and summoned their Keyblades. Aqua grit her teeth. "Of all the times..." She swallowed her frustrations and sucked in a deep breath to calm her mind. "You ready, Ven?" With a nod to her friend Aqua tucked into a somersault and rolled out from behind their defense, immediately pulling up a magic barrier to protect herself from more oncoming projectiles. She kept the blond boy in her peripheral vision, who was doing well to protect himself from the ever-growing onslaught of Unversed. Mandrakes, they immediately identified the monsters to be; there was no mistaking their signature white and green coloring for another kind.

Ven readied himself for the next round of Mandrakes, Keyblade positioned horizontally in front of his body, and sank into his battle stance. Three more Mandrakes flew in his direction, only to be met with his Keyblade parrying them before they exploded to shadowy bits. From the corner of his eye, Ven noticed murky purple shapes slithering across the ground. They were too fast to be the Mandrakes' shadows... He followed his gut feeling and shot a small fireball at the nearest dark spot, where another monster peeled itself off the ground and took on a shape. "Floods-" He could only get one word out when the one Flood became a pack and launched at him all at once. The monsters only made it within two feet of the teen when fiery portals sizzled on the ground between them and blasted the creatures to bits. Their swarming attack couldn't fool him; he'd trained for situations just like this, and an arc of mines was the perfect counter. Ven spun on heel when he heard the screech of another Unversed and swiped through the creature, blowing it into a dark smoke that faded in the air.

A shriek of terror drew his attention to the other side of the street. A man cowered before another one of the monsters, round and towering over the food trucks beside it. Its large purple and black body loomed over the man, jagged red lines appearing to illuminate against the dark colors. Without a second thought Ven wound his arm backwards and hurled his Keyblade at the monster. The weapon spun like the Mandrakes had, set to hit the Unversed dead center in its body. And as fast as he'd thrown the Keyblade, it was gone. Ven sucked his teeth as he stared at the fourth Unversed that blocked his shot and banged its metal fists together in a threatening manner. "That all you got?" he taunted the Bruiser, flicking his hand out as his Keyblade respawned in his grasp. Swiping it in front of him, he sent out a wave of ice that sped toward the Unversed, and he ran behind it to prepare his next attack. The blizzard clashed with the Bruiser's fist and dispersed everywhere, enveloping the street in a white fog that left everything impossible to see. "Dammit-" The breath was knocked out of him when he felt the Bruiser shove its fist into his gut, forcing him to soar backwards and into the food cart he'd used for cover. Ventus pulled his body from the dented metal cart and hunched over, pain coursing through every muscle of his abdomen every time he breathed. "Owww..." A cough left him just as the Bruiser stopped before the boy, its shadow cast over his entire body. It wound its fist and pulled its arm backwards.

There was never an impact. Ven had squeezed his eyes shut while the Unversed was preparing to pummel him, and when nothing happened, he peeled one open to see what was going on. The Bruiser was petrified, levitating above the ground and spinning inside a translucent sphere. A few feet away he saw Aqua, hand reaching in his direction, fingers curling in, and the Bruiser shrank until it was nothing. Panting, she hurried over to Ventus and knelt beside him, running a hand through his hair. "You alright?" she asked despite knowing the answer. Gently, Aqua helped him out of the dented cart, then threw his arm around her neck and half-carried him to the side. "I'm so sorry. I should've been faster." Soothing green light gathered in her palms and swam over Ven. He winced for a moment, then his expression began to relax as the healing magic sank into his body and repaired the damage brought on by the Unversed. Halfway through healing her friend, a scream caught both their attention. The man from earlier was swinging the hammer from the carnival game wildly at the Tank Topper, which ducked out of the way just in time for the hammer to strike the wheel attached to its back. "Wait, stop!" Her warning fell on deaf ears as the man continued to try and destroy the monster. Steam escaped from its head and the Unversed's body started expanding. It rolled toward the man in an attempt to flatten him. "No, get away from it!" Three more strikes and the Tank emitted a red glow. "STOP! You have to get away from it!" Fear had the man in a trance, knees buckling as heat flowed from the Unversed. Aqua shot onto her feet and dashed to the man, hoping she'd make it before the creature exploded and took out half the town.

Ice blew everywhere. Aqua was quick enough to create a barrier around herself before the icy cloud descended on the street. The nearby Unversed were frozen solid, unable to move at all. Ven poked his head out from his hiding place, having evaded the blizzard blast, and took in the sight before him. Every part of the Unversed, even the steam spewing from the Tank Topper's head, was encapsulated in crystallized water. The cold air stung his skin and Ven shivered, rubbing his hands together to create heat in his palms. "You okay, Aqua?" he yelled from across the street as her shield lowered. He kicked the nearest Flood out of his way and ran over to her, slipping a few times on the patches of ice littering the street, and the frozen Flood tipped over and shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. The ice fragments darkened and melted into smoky wisps. Hopping to a halt beside Aqua, Ven's demeanor switched from on edge to impressed. "That was awesome! How'd you spread the blizzard spell so far?"

Though relieved they were out of danger, the elder apprentice remained confused. "That wasn't me, Ven." She stood up and shook off the ice that gathered on her shoulders while observing their surroundings. The entire avenue was covered in snow and ice, the monsters frozen solid in thick layers, and the destruction they caused was evident. Buildings lining the street were left with long gaping holes in the walls, glass from broken windows mixed with the ice, and when she looked down the road, she immediately averted her gaze. There were plenty of injuries caused by the Unversed, some severe, but Aqua's focus was drawn from the victims of the attack to the sound of scraping against the ice. She and Ven turned in the direction of the noise and were quick to notice two familiar figures sliding towards them. "Terra, Fusilia-"

"They're not dead yet!" Fusilia twisted her body to stop herself from sliding any further and pointed to the Tank Topper. Their attention shifted to the Unversed, who were beginning to rattle where they stood frozen. All it took was one exchanged glance between Fusilia and Ventus for the blond to understand what needed to be done. Summoning his Keyblade, he hurled it toward the largest of the Unversed before it broke free from its icy prison. The beast was destroyed like cheap glass and dissipated into smoke while the Keyblade continued to spin through the air, catching the Mandrakes that were frozen in mid-air as they whirled against the wind. As he took care of the smaller Unversed, Aqua hurried to the injured civilians and pulled them aside to begin tending to their wounds. She watched Fusilia slide by in a streak of red against the icy ground, and when she vanished, the Keyblade disciple laid her eyes on Terra, who helped gather the remainder of those with severe injuries while keeping an eye on the disappearing Unversed.

"The hell happened?" Terra questioned his fellow student. Ven seemed alright for the moment; he kept his friend in his peripheral vision.

Aqua motioned for Terra to hold down her current patient's shoulders. The writhing man struggled weakly against his saviors' hold, twisting his arms and squirming as Terra's hands eased him flush with the pavers. Every pained moan became an agonized cry when Aqua's palms pressed against the slit in the man's flesh, and it doubled when she dug between the flaps of his skin to retrieve a pointed green shard. Dark purple smoke raised off the shard and faded in the air, and when it was removed, Aqua burned the Mandrake remnant in her grip. With the man's discomfort seemingly reduced, she was able to focus on her partner's question. "One minute everything was fine, then the next...this!" She didn't know how to phrase it. "I don't know how many more there are... Damn it, where are the emergency services?" The lack of sirens and medical professionals amplified the initial worry in her gut. Gritting her teeth, Aqua tried her best to keep calm and lay her attention on her patient. "At least you two got here fast. I don't know what would've happened. The situation spiraled so quickly I couldn't even..." There went her train of thought again. Aqua decided to just continue with her emergency medical treatment rather than let her frustration distract her. "How _did_ you two get here so fast?"

Dare he say 'instinct'? That was the easiest way to explain Fusilia petrifying right in front of him mere seconds before they were about to do who knew what. He figured it'd be better to leave out the second part. "I dunno. Fusilia just had the urge to join you two at the fair. I happened to come home at the same time, so..." Terra shrugged his shoulders.

Ven hopped over to the two just as Aqua was done healing the civilian. "Where'd Fusilia go?" he asked, hoping one of his friends might know the answer. "That Blizzaga was HUGE! It looks like it reached the other side of town!"

"Yeah... I had no idea she could conjure such a powerful spell. Her old master must've been incredible."

Over the next few hours, Eraqus' students helped the civilians repair the town and tend to the wounded until medical help finally arrived and took over. The authorities flooded onto the scene and took reports from every person they spoke to, including the Keyblade trio, all the while Fusilia was nowhere to be found. Ven ran off in search of her despite Aqua and Terra's warnings not to vanish. "Let him go," Terra suggested when Aqua reached her hand out after the boy. "Someone's gotta find her. In the meantime, we should see if there's anything else we can do to help the authorities before-" The sound of screeching tires cut him off, and they both knew it was time for them to disappear as well when they saw a man and camera crew rush out of a news van. The Unversed was a foreign concept to the media, who were always around whenever something bad happened involving them, and keeping things under wraps with them around was always difficult. The Council of Keyblade Masters spanned many worlds, and in theirs, they preferred to keep things like monsters out of the public eye as much as possible. True, the public had a right to know, but first they needed to locate the source of all the turmoil. As far as they knew, the media didn't even have any knowledge on the existence of Keybearers; the government was good at staying hushed on the matter of magical warriors defending the realms from shadowy creatures crawling out from some abyss. Apprentices and masters alike would only go as far as allowing the world to know of their magical capabilities; they needn't know of the darker side of the truth. Public knowledge of wizard-like powers was much easier to deal with than bringing about mass hysteria, though there were some who believed the movement to be nothing more than a cult. Fine by them if it kept world order.

"Guess we're all looking for her now," Aqua chimed in before sprinting down the street. Terra followed seconds afterward, wishing he could throw on an invisibility spell, but knew it'd raise more suspicion to use magic right in front of a reporter. The growing mass of spectators gathering around one of the most destroyed areas provided a cover for the Keybearers to sneak away without alerting the media, and they were grateful to have such luck the further away they got.

At the edge of town they spotted a familiar red ponytail, whose focus was glued onto a cliff far off in the distance. Ventus stood beside her, both silent, the former almost not hearing the others arriving. The lingering silence was so unlike Fusilia. "What's wrong?" Still facing away from her companions she shook her head, seemingly refusing to turn around and face them.

Ven turned around and motioned his head sideways. Stepping away from Fusilia, he lowered his voice to a whisper. "She's acting really weird, guys. I found her over here fifteen minutes ago. She hasn't said a word and won't look away from the cliff over there." His eyes narrowed in thought. "It's like she's hyper-focused or something. I'm not sure what to do."

Terra pat his friend's shoulder. "I'll handle it." He walked past them toward Fusilia, not noticing the strange stare Aqua gave him. Something was going on between them, and if her gut feeling was right about before, it had to be right again. She decided to observe from afar for the time being and gestured for Ven to follow her back home.

Alone with Fusilia, Terra leaned against the fence in front of them and stared at the ridge. His lips parted. "It's still around." Terra's mouth closed when she began to speak. "I can feel it. It's suffocating me."

"What is?"

"The darkness." Her voice was soft and solemn. "It's nearby and I should've found the source by now." She stared down at her hand and flexed her fingers, briefly summoning her Keyblade before dismissing it.

Terra's brow furrowed. "I'm not understanding you."

"It's the darkness, you idiot!" Terra flinched at her sudden outburst. "It's still out there and I failed to stop it. My job is to vanquish the darkness and all that lurks in it, and I couldn't even do that!" Fusilia began pacing in front of him, lost in her own mind and unaware of how far out she flailed her arms.

"You're talking nonsense. It's not solely your responsibility to keep the darkness at bay. That's why there are so many Keyblade masters and apprentices around." She wouldn't stop pacing until he grabbed her shoulders and forced her to a halt. It was Fusilia's turn to flinch when his gentle grip snagged her from her trance. "Look at me." Reluctantly she fulfilled his request and their eyes met, and not a second later she squirmed out of his grasp and backed away with a shiver. "What?"

"Please don't do that." Terra raised an eyebrow in obvious confusion. "It ...it felt like...before."

"What do you mean?" Fusilia clenched her jaw. She didn't want to reply, especially with the look he was giving her. Her distance was beginning to prove annoying. "Look, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." Still no answer. Was he annoyed with her or with himself for not being able to understand? He couldn't tell anymore.

A faint whisper left her. Terra laid his attention back on Fusilia, whose tensed stance had relaxed a bit. He waited patiently for her to repeat herself. "...There's something you need to know, and I don't want you to get offended." Before he could ask what she meant Fusilia held her hand up between them. Eyes closing, the redhead swallowed some air and laid her hand on his chest, moving it around until it settled above his heart. Terra's cheeks flushed at the sudden contact. They remained that way for what felt like an eternity to the latter before Fusilia lifted her hand from his chest. Her eyes fluttered open and hazel met cerulean once more. "Your heart has a lot of conflict entwined within. Even without me being a thorn in your side, your relationship with Master Eraqus is often rocky. You sometimes struggle with your own emotions, and..." The reluctance was back. Terra pat the back of her hand with his own in encouragement. "...And you're in denial. Of the...darkness in your heart." She took three steps backwards.

It took him a moment to realize everything she'd just said. Eraqus and Aqua were the only ones who knew of his occasional struggle with the strands of darkness in his heart. Neither one had brought it up once since Fusilia became a part of their family. Yet in less than a minute she read him like a grade school book...all from a touch. She was starting to freak him out again. "How...?" That was only one of a million questions he had at that moment.

"When we first met, I sensed the darkness in your heart. It felt like you were strangling me just with your eyes. I don't know if it was fear or rage, or what. But ever since I was a kid, I'd come across people that left me with a bad taste in my mouth, even if they'd never so much as looked at me. It was difficult to explain to anyone willing to listen. I got into a lot of fights in middle school, and that caused a lot of issues for me. Master Jenova was the first person who really tried to understand me whenever I had what she referred to as an 'outburst'. She could tell something was off about me compared to the other apprentices." Fusilia wandered to a nearby bench and sat down. "I overheard her talking to another Master one night before she fell ill, and she said something that I'll never forget." Hazel eyes looked up at him.

"There are some people throughout the cosmos with powers stranger than Keybearers ever thought possible. These select few possess the ability to read people's hearts and sense the aura within. Yours felt similar to that of other individuals that made me uncomfortable, like my life was in danger. I literally felt like I was suffocating." Fusilia began to play with her hair. "These people can also detect the tiniest specks of darkness from a distance. That's how I was able to pick up on the Unversed from the mansion. Everyone with these abilities experiences them differently; mine just happens to leave me gasping for breath." Sucking in oxygen, Fusilia's fingers paused between strands of her hair. "I guess you can call me a 'radar'."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you couldn't tell, I REALLY really like Strike Raid.


End file.
